Last month I gave my thoughts on the upcoming year for all the consoles. I thought the PS3 and 360 could have a strong year. I also wrote that I thought the Wii was on shaky ground. Now we are hearing news and speculation from some of the other media outlets. Was I on the right track? Will the PS3 make a comeback? Can the Wii maintain it’s momentum? Let’s see what the experts are saying.

First up with the big announcements is EA. We all know EA is fond of making grand statements with regards to its competitors and partners. So them coming out with a statement from left field is nothing new. This is what they had to say about the coming year. EA thinks that the Wii will stay on top in 08, not much of a surprise there with the Wii’s current sales figures. What is surprising is EA’s prediction that the PS3 will outsell the 360 in the upcoming year. But, should that really be surprising at all? According to sarcasticgamer.com, the PS3 has already outsold the 360. Check out their article to see how they came up with the numbers.

If what they say is true, the PS3 outsold the 360 by 1.53 million in 07. If that comes as a surprise to you, join the club. All we’ve heard this year is how the 360 is trouncing the PS3. Are we being lied to or is this just something that no one has really paid any attention to? If it’s a case of the first, I get that. Microsoft definitely does not want this to get out. But, if it’s a case of the second, now that’s a problem. We all know the ignorance the mainstream media has in regards to videogames, but what about the typical gaming media outlets? Why is this being reported only by sarcasticgamer.com? Are they way off base, or are they onto a story that has yet to break big? Definitely something to keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

As far as the Wii goes though, EA’s assessment is not the only one out there. Microsoft has it’s own ideas. Jeff Bell of Microsoft has said that the Wii is kinda like a gateway device to the world of gaming. His thoughts are that the Wii is getting people into gaming that may not have thought about owning a console before. Unfortunately for Nintendo, Microsoft doesn’t think people will stick with it for the long haul, and will be looking for a new system when they grow out of the Wii. This is simplifying Jeff’s statements quite a bit. Read the full interview with him here. Does his theory hold water? In a way it does. The theory of the Nintendo bubble bursting has been making its rounds on the internet lately and has been getting a lot of attention and speculation.

What? You haven’t heard of the Nintendo bubble theory? Well here it is: The latest thoughts are that the Wii’s game line-up can’t support the sales the console have achieved as of late. What this means is that the gamers will realize that all there is to play on the Wii are the typical Mario, Zelda, and Metroid games, plus lots of crappy third party games. In the past Nintendo has had the problem of not being able to get consistent third party support. Nintendo doesn’t have that problem this time. The new problem is all the really bad third party games that are on the console now. Aunt Trudy may buy that cool looking game for little Timmy, not realizing it’s a complete disaster and pretty much unplayable. This may lead to a backlash of people not purchasing third party games, even the good ones, and stick to the first party games. That in turn, could lead to the third party developers pulling their support. The result being a drought of good third party games similar to what the N64 and and Gamecube were plagued with. The result will be less game sales, and then less console sales. The bubble, being the currently huge sales numbers, will eventually burst.

Overall, I think my ideas were pretty close to some of those in the industry. I was surprised about the bit of PS3 outselling the 360, but the Nintendo bubble bursting idea didn’t surprise me at all. It just doesn’t seem to have the credentials to hang with it’s competitors. Game-wise, Nintendo doesn’t have the library. Tech-wise, there’s no contest to either platform by its competition. Even if it adds DVD support this year, I don’t think it’ll be able to maintain the top spot past 2008. I may be wrong, after all, I’m just the average gamer.

Beginning with the original Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) this video depicts the evolution of Nintendo’s home video game consoles using a cool transformer type transitions.

Watch this timeline on video games spanning 35 years, from Pong all the way to our current generation of titles - it’s quite apparent that we’ve come a long way. How many of the games featured have you had the opportunity to play?

While store shelves may be glutted with Maddens, Tony Hawks, and Calls of Duty, there are many games that never got a Part 2.

Games.net recently featured a list of the top 49 sequel-less games. Listed below are the top 10 from their list.

10- Freelancer (PC)

As a freelance pilot, the player takes on what should be a simple escort mission in return for a second-hand ship and minimal cash, but things quickly escalate out of control. Yet the plot, while intricate and entertaining, isn’t what brought people to Freelancer, let alone kept them playing for hours on end. This space simulation offers the massive, free-form universe that so many space simulation enthusiasts craved, while still walking that delicate tightrope between arcade action and simulation specifics.

Finishing the plot of Freelancer leaves players far from having explored the game’s universe. The plot missions are some of the game’s high points, but only cover a fraction of the universe and still allow plenty of room for everything from mining to privateering, all at your wispiest whim. If that game had critics, it was the hardcore crowd that feared games would favor mouse and keyboard play over the traditional joystick interface.

Will Freelancer receive a sequel? Unknown. Freelancer itself is sort of a sequel to Starlancer, but not quite. Those of you eager for more of Freelancer should explore the mod community. The available mods and conversions could keep you playing for months. Besides, there are plenty of games that offer free-form exploration, trade and combat in a large universe, such as the X franchise and Dark Star One.

9- Ico (PS2)

A youth unfortunate enough to have been born with horns is locked inside a mysterious castle as a sacrifice, to spare the land from a foul curse. Despite the dismal circumstances, his gymnastic talents and quick wit allow him to escape his sacrificial tomb and cast his lot alongside a mysterious girl plagued by shadowy creatures. Through visually stunning platforming puzzles and occasional swordplay, the boy and girl save themselves from a horrible fate at the hands of a wraith queen.

Ico is a case study in minimalist elegance. Aside from the glorious gameplay, so much is communicated by the horned boy and doomed princess from their simple handholding and heartbreaking cooperation. Losing the girl to shadows is tragic, beyond just requiring the player to restart that level.

Another critical success and sales failure, Ico wasn’t awarded a formal sequel. But Shadow of the Colossus is set in the same world’s past. So look to it as Ico’s spiritual successor.

8- Skies of Arcadia (DC, GC)

The pirates and floating continents of Skies of Arcadia didn’t get enough attention on the Dreamcast, so a Legends version of the game was released on the GameCube that exchanged the console role-playing game’s booze and smokes for a goth chick who hunts air pirates.

In both versions Vyse (a cutlass-wielding teen) and Aika (an easily angered boomerang jockey) are joined by a series of friends as they navigate a typically cryptic console role-playing game plot that has them using crystals to control creatures of colossal power and a complicated battle system to fight their way through the world to save it.

Will we get the chance to save the Valuan Empire again? Even the PlayStation 2 port was cancelled, so it seems unlikely. A shame, since the free-spirited really-high-seas adventure was unique and enjoyable amidst the glut of neo-futuristic, downright depressing RPGs of the era.

7- Rez (PS2, DC)

Rez is a rail shooter set inside a world computer network, uniquely combining elements of rhythm games and action-rich shooters to create the ultimate in visually and musically hypnotic play. All computers on the planet have been networked, but that network is being corrupted by the very program designed to save it. As a hacker with the trippiest interface ever conceived, the player has to clean up the network and reboot the critical program.

Despite the cyberpunk theme, Rez isn’t about plot. It’s entirely about experiencing the unification of rhythm, tone and visuals, and controlling all of them with a trance-like state and a DualShock controller. Playing Rez is the closest you’ll ever get to hearing “orange,” short of a neurological breakdown.

Rez received countless awards but was strange enough to have trouble capturing mainstream attention. Rumors abound of a sequel for the newest consoles, but the proof is in the pudding. The hallucinogenic, musical, visually intense pudding.

6- Shadow of the Colossus (PS2)

To save his lost and lifeless love, a young man must scour the world for creatures like moving mountains and plunge his sword into their mystically vulnerable spots. Doing so releases the trapped essence of an entity said to be able to raise the dead.

Flawlessly integrating platforming-like action and puzzle solving, Shadow of the Colossus abandons the often claustrophobic climbing and jumping puzzles of other games into a series of genuinely epic encounters with powerful constructs of magic and stone. Shadow of the Colossus even makes a game out of finding the creatures, as the young man is aided only by a reflective sword and a loyal (and spectacularly animated) horse.

More colossi would detract from the game’s magic, but since Shadow of the Colossus is set in Ico’s world (before the events of Ico), Ico is as much of a sequel as you could need.

Read the rest of this page »

PSU has created a selection of montages to illustrate this ‘evolution’ of gaming. Check out the 1st generation up to the the most current generation of your favorite video game franchises.

Click the image below to see a larger version.

[source]

If you have seen these already I appoligize in advance, these are from an OLD TechBlog post. I think some of these mods are pretty amazing… some are just plain strange.

Enjoy this collection of oddities and observe what gallons of caffeine and countless hours of free-time (I’d imagine most of that time spent would have been female-free as well :)

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#10

Colecovision Portable

Yes, this will play all your old school Colecovision games like “Donkey Kong”, “Galaxian”, and “Zaxxon” in all their 16 color glory.

Ben Heckendorn, creator of the NES Micro, made a custom case, tore apart an old Colecovision system, designed his own controller, and put it all together into the sleek package you see above.

It features A/V outputs, an auxiliary power input, and a reflective black vinyl case with brushed aluminum accents.

Unfortunately, this one-of-a-kind system was built by request and has already been sold.

[Source]

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#9

NEStation

The NEStation is one of the most unique custom systems we’ve ever come across.

A French modder painted his NES completely black with blue accents, created a custom vertical stand, installed four blue LEDs, and than carved in a PS2-style logo on its side.

[Source]

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#8

The nPod

The nPod is Ben Heck’s latest gaming console, featuring a 3.5-inch LCD display, custom machined case (only 41mm thick), and a rear-loading cartridge slot.

It’s powered by 4 AA batteries and can play any NES game.

[Source]

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#7

Portable Sega CDX

Most of you may not remember the CDX, it combined the Sega Genesis and Sega CD into one console.

SegaSonicFan’s portable CDX sports a 5″ display, JP/US import switch, second headphone jack, S-Video output, external controller switch, and a built-in automatic scan FM radio.

It even plays 32X games.

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#6

Gamecube-to-Go

Gamelver spent a great deal of time constructing this portable Gamecube — especially the case.

It looks to feature external controller ports for multiplayer action, along with a pair speakers.

Other specifications have not yet been released.

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#5

NESPlusSega

This all-in-one machine can play both Sega Genesis and NES games.

The case was made from custom molded ABS plastic and features controller ports for both systems.

[Source]

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#4

Handheld Atari Jaguar

The Jaguar was the world’s first gaming system with two 32-bit processors.

Unfortunately, the system met its demise in early 1996 due to poor sales.

Well Dave decided to pay tribute with this portable Jaguar.

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#3

Sega Genesis/Mega Drive Mini

Kotomi took one of those 6-in-1 Sega TV game devices and turned it into a Genesis/Mega Drive mini, complete with cartridge slot.

One potential drawback, he doesn’t mention if the cartridge slot is functional — it’s an interesting project none the less.

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#2

Dreamcast Portable

Dave took on an ambitous project when he created this portable Dreamcast from scratch.

It features a custom designed case, 5″ LCD display, and a built-in 16MB memory card.

Powered by two rechargeable batteries, its good for up to 1 1/2 hours of playtime.

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#1

PlayStation 2 Portable

Click the above picture to watch the 10 minute demonstration of the PlayStation 2 Portable - our #1 pick for custom system.

Enjoy!

Found this article over at Newsweek.com game section Level Up about how Nintendo fans love the family friendly games that Nintendo produces themselves, but when it comes to 3rd party titles of the same type - they avoid these like the plague. From the article:

Kevin Cassidy (founder of the news, reviews and opinion site GoNintendo.com) regarding a Level Up post about how Sony’s hit games with alternative controllers paved the way for the Wii’s success, when Cassidy wrote:

“Right now people are too busy bitching about Konami’s ‘kiddy’ games. I swear, Nintendo fans are never happy.”

After some back and forth discussion of his statement, we realized that Cassidy’s thoughts had the makings of an insightful rant, so we asked him to answer the following question “Are Nintendo fans too hard on third-party games?”

Here’s his response:

For many years, Nintendo had a rough time securing truly robust third party support. But back during the 8-bit and 16-bit wars, things were quite different: Sega and Nintendo were the big players, and their respective systems were cartridge-based. As time moved on, things changed drastically on all fronts, from storage, to competitors, and even subject matter. Nintendo decided to stay with the more expensive cartridges for their Nintendo 64 platform, while newcomer Sony went with much cheaper CD-based media. That change, combined with the scary prospect of competing against Nintendo’s first party powerhouse franchises, produced the perfect recipe for third party disaster, resulting in ever-decreasing third party support until very recently.

Enter the Wii, Nintendo’s new platform full of fresh ideas: Two motion-based controllers, a Virtual Console system which lets you download classic titles from a number of platforms, and Nintendo’s pledge to actively pursue third party development. The first few months for the Wii have been outstanding. Consumers seem to understand and enjoy what Nintendo is striving to do, and third parties see the Wii as a viable platform for their work. Nintendo is doing what they said they would all along, getting the third party support that fans wanted. The only problem is that these same fans don’t seem to want what third parties have to offer.

Konami, Ubisoft, THQ, EA, and many other big name third party developers have announced that they have a number of games in the works for the Wii. You have ports of last generation games, original IPs exclusive to the Wii, huge titles from EA’s lineup, and more. Yet from what I have seen, Wii owners are complaining about almost everything the Wii has heading its way. Take for example Dewy’s Adventure, a recently announced puzzle/platformer game that makes use of everything unique to the Wii’s control scheme. An alarming number of fans have branded the game as “kiddie” and not worth a second look. This not-worth-my-time message board buzz seems to be afflicting an alarming number of titles coming to the Wii. Prince of Persia: Rival Swords; The Godfather: Blackhand Edition; Scarface; Mortal Kombat: Armageddon—fans lambaste them all because they appeared on last-generation platforms. Nintendo die hards want third party support, but they don’t want the original titles, enhanced ports, or “kiddy” games that they accuse third parties of dumping on the Wii.

Well, what do Wii owners want then?

From what I can see, Wii owners want more “mature” titles. I put this term in quotes because I simply don’t believe that the gameplay examples fans are citing qualify as mature. The general outcry seems to be for titles that offer up violence in one way or another. So while many Wii owners do not want ports, they do want original IPs that are grittier than the traditional Nintendo fare. This desire is definitely a byproduct of the popularity of franchises such as Grand Theft Auto, Halo and their many imitators. Those games are both wonderful examples of pulling people into game worlds, but they don’t have to be the end all, be all of software support.

Going back to the unjustly maligned Dewy’s Adventure, what Nintendo fans deride as “kiddie” is more fairly described as whimsical. Still, they write on message boards that the game doesn’t appeal to them at all because it lacks “mature” themes, yet many of the people leaving these comments aren’t even old enough to purchase Mature-rated games. All the while, Nintendo’s own family friendly titles somehow seem to be exempt from these “kiddie” accusations, most likely owing to the company’s well-established heritage.

So when it comes to third party games, Nintendo fans are almost impossible to please. They seem to want everything and nothing at the same time. They want massive third party support, but when they get it they turn their backs. They have no problem with the rated-E for Everyone titles when Nintendo makes them, but the same designation is unacceptable when coming from third parties.

Over the past several weeks we have seen a huge amount of external support for the Wii in all categories, and I can’t think of one title in particular that fans are really excited about. Is this the product of a mentality that says games aren’t fun unless they are violent? Or are Nintendo fans being too picky for their own good? If their current opinion of these games carries over to the final sales tally, it looks like Nintendo will once again lose the third party support they have been working so hard to regain. Here I thought things were finally going the Big N’s way, and now, because of the fickle tastes of my fellow Wii-philes, I am left worrying that Mario and friends will once again be left to carry the console end of Nintendo on their shoulders, all by their lonesome.

[source Level Up]