We’ve been making progress with this little industry of ours haven’t we? Each year the budgets get larger, the voice talent gets better, the graphics improve, the stories become deeper, and we gain a bit more mainstream acceptance in the quest for the hard-work of our dedicated employees to be regconized for what it is - truely amazing.
I implore you to gather your emploees this morning, buy them lunch, put them in the company’s largest conference room and discuss what can happen if you stop saying you are making the best experience you can for the gamers, and start making that experience.
Discuss what happens when you don’t allow the outside pressure of marketing plans, metacritic predictions, release dates, launch parties, or anything else to distract you from making the best product that you can out of a passionate, genuine desire to create something moving, something revolutionary.
I am not exactly sure how Blizzard keeps pushing itself further each game release, but this trailer gave me goosebumps, connected with me on an emotional level, and got me ready to stand in line for 10 hours for a game I only previously had a marginal interest in purchasing.
There’s much to learn, but I’m sure we can get there… There’s no shame in learning something new, even if you’ve been in the industry before it was an industry. There’s no shame in looking to a company that teaches us something revolutionary every few years - even when we thought we’ve seen it before.
Being a business owner means that my schedule is a bit more flexible than that of my wife and friends. That said, it’s nice to feel somewhat normal, and sync my schedule with that of the rest of the world.
It was great to catch up with some friends that I hadn’t spent time with lately, and I got to take in a few new games, and movies.
Here are some brief reviews of the non-gaming entertainment bits that I injested this weekend:
Red White and Dead Zombie Walk: While we didn’t participate in the Zombie Walk, I was surprised to see the large turnout of folks in their full-on zombie gear. It was cool to see several hundred undead doing the Thriller dance. Pictures were taken, and we think that there was some flirting between a friend of mine and a zombie female in her late 20s, but we’re not really sure. For the record, I’d suggest this event be named Dead, White, and Blue.
Twilight Eclipse: I was expecting this movie to suck. I expected emo vampires, and corny dialog. I expected to be bored to tears. Luckily the movie lived up to every expectation I had. I get that women wish that they had some perfect romantic life, but this movie didn’t have enough gore or fighting to keep me interested at all.
The A-Team: I was expecting to dislike this movie, and wound up really enjoying myself. It’s clearly a “turn off your brain and just enjoy” experience - but I am most fond of those experiences. Quinton “Rampage” Jackson was actually a decent BA Barracus, which surprised me a great deal. I am glad that we went to see the movie, and more glad that I have the ability to turn off my logic and revel in the tounge-in-cheek corniness.
World of Warcraft Miniatures Game: I finally got to play some 2-on-2 battles. I loved it. The game mechanics are straight-foward, yet there are enough tactical strategic options that the non-gamers and the games in the group had a good time with it. I’m sad that there are some transitions going on (UDE lost the license, and Blizzard is supposedly taking the game over), and hope that it continues.
2009 was a good year for gaming. What were your top five games of 2009?
... and I answered
2009 was a GREAT year for gaming! I hate making top 5 lists because I always forget a game or two, but here goes:
Blood Bowl (PC): It’s a niche title for sure, but they did a GREAT job w/ putting one of my favorite boardgames onto the PC, complete with leagues and leveling players.
Borderlands (Multi): The co-op and random loot took what was an interesting shooter and really put it into another category. I hope BL2 comes out, and that it has random dungeons.
Warhammer 40k: Dawn of War II (PC): It’s scary that two Games Workshop IPs got into my top 5 games. The game is great, and with the recent free Last Stand content patch, it’s worth going back to.
Uncharted 2 (PS3): The story kept me interested, and the voice-acting/cinematics were some of the best I’ve seen. [Full disclosure, Pm worked with Sony/Naughty Dog on Uncharted 2 PR/Marketing]
• Quote
"Cats are like girls. If they talk to you it’s great, but if you try to talk to them, it doesn’t go so well."
I was never paid to give my opinions on video games, and as a marketer for the gaming industry, I try and live by the motto: If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
With an industry-wide increased focus on the casual game market, I was worried this year. I was less enthusiastic about E3 2010 than I had ever been for an E3.
Luckily, there were enough core games shown to make a top 5 list. I wanted to point out my favorites from the press conferences that I saw (Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, Nintendo, and Sony).
LittleBigPlanet 2 - the sequel to one of my favorite games of this generation. The creation tools have been upgraded, and some of the game levels they showed during the trailer were amazing. Sony’s really embraced this idea of make.believe.
Medal of Honor - Positioned as a Call of Duty-killer, I am a big fan of how EA focused the experience of Battlefield Bad Company 2, so I am excited to think what what they can do with MoH. I enjoyed Modern Warfare 2, but the multiplayer kill-based reward system was frustrating if you weren’t a great player.
Gears of War 3 - As an Epic Games fanboy who had the honor of working with, and getting to know many of the people who worked on the game. Beast mode is a really cool take on Horde too!
Twisted Metal - despite denying that he was working on it, Sony announced that David Jaffe’s Eat Sleep Play studio was, in fact, releasing the next-gen remake of the classic. On one of our very first dates, my wife and I played Twisted Metal 1 in my basement.
Bulletstorm - This game reminded me of a cross between Serious Sam, and The Club - two great games that had s style, and a personality. The way in which you get points for stylized killing is right up my alley.
I have had a handful of XBLA codes for the past few years. I need to get rid of them, so 1st come - 1st served. Enjoy.
RR82W-HMWQ2-4YBVG-XG7BW-8WYDG
BPVQ7-977CP-92QVK-4FPK3-X7RXQ
J7Y46-M4QBC-HJCXQ-H9GF4-WBQ28
DVRDJ-HCCPM-777T4-4C8G9-TCB9G
HHPMX-PWPM3-8DHKC-J2Y2X-QRD23
D6YVK-4GC2F-XQVCC-PMFTJ-XTBDB
If the codes are all used up, you can still get the game on the Xbox Marketplace, or on Amazon. Seems to be $5 USD on either.
• Video
[WARNING: The above video is pretty graphic, and taken from an M rated game.]
I never played Blitz the League 1, and intended to purchase Blitz The League 2 when it launched in late 2008 - but never did.
I got it this past week off of Goozex, and the thing that immediately drew me in made me queasy were the injuries. As a former football player, I can’t even watch the ankle, or Achilles heel segments.
I was never paid to give my opinions on video games, and as a marketer for the gaming industry, I try and live by the motto: If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.
I have had a handful of XBLA codes for the past few years. I need to get rid of them, so 1st come - 1st served. Enjoy.
