Video Games and Movies Don’t Mix?

With the recent news that Mega Man would be getting a new movie soon, it got me thinking about the movie industry as a whole and how it has worked with the video game industry thus far.

To some, it’s an amazing chance to see a unique idea come to life and see an interpretation from someone else on how this universe works. To others, it’s an unholy combination that results in chaos.

For example, Resident Evil has seen some success. With multiple live action and animated movies getting some decent “ehhs”. Street Fighter, while not incredibly exciting did get some cheesy but memorable movies alongside many more.

On the other side simply uttering “Super Mario Bros Movie” gets dirty looks and hisses from cats. Humanoid Goombas, Bowser as a villian with spiky hair, and of course, the infamous Dinohattan and dark scenery that was so far away from the source material the only thing they had alike were the names.

The horror.

Despite that, there have been a few steps towards solving that and they are quite exciting.

Are leaks ruining video games?

Leaks are nothing new to the gaming scene. Not a day goes by without a new post appearing claiming to have never before seen images of a new character or shaky video of a yet-to-be-announced game.

To some, these articles are great insights into a game they’ll be enjoying in a few months. A detailed look to make sure that your hard-earned money is well spent into a game.

Unfortunately, it’s a double-edged sword.

Animal Crossing Happy Home Designer: Designing Fun For Everyone

Animal Crossing has been one of those quirky Nintendo series that in its core doesn’t seem like it would work, and yet it does.

Doing mundane work like planting, doing chores, running errands, decorating, fishing, etc in real life usually results in a groan and a feeling of despair. Nobody wants to do that!

Animal Crossing in contrast feels natural. I’ve spent countless hours just running around making sure all the flowers in my town looked good. Fishing for hours and hunting for bugs until night to make sure that I have enough bells to buy the newest items at Tom Nook’s Store. Instead of doing my own chores in real life I find myself doing them with a smile in the game.

Recently a new entry to the series was announced and it was received with mixed reactions. All you do in the game is decorate houses.

That’s it.

Many were naturally quite skeptical of this spinoff title. Are decorating houses enough to support a game? Why not just make an all new game instead of wasting time on a title like this? Where’s my new Metroid!?

It works perfectly.

Nintendo Files Patent for Console with no Disc Drive

Nintendo NX.

Nintendo’s new addition into their family has already been announced with a possible release date in 2016. Everyone is hyped, rumors flowing around and concepts being speculated on by fans are the norm nowadays in Nintendo communities.

The hype is massive, and yet there is still one question everyone has on their mind.

How will it look like?

The console was announced a while ago due to pressure from the public in response to the failure of the Wii U to meet sales expectations. When it was announced it was touted as a healthy lifestyle console, with a focus on providing more well-being.

Interesting, but vague.

Thankfully a new patent has revealed new details about a patent that was filed for recently, and the contents are quite interesting.

Nintendo 2DS: Nintendo’s Best Idea

With the recent announcement that the Nintendo 2DS would be dropping in price to $99 it made me think of just how essential this console is.

The Nintendo 3DS is still king, but it does have its different views depending on who you ask.

To Nintendo, it’s among their best-selling portable console. To others, it’s an amazing console with a massive library of interesting games for anyone to enjoy. There is still another group, those who hate the 3D feature.

It’s the main selling point of the console but to some it’s annoying.

Who uses a feature that gives you headaches? Is Nintendo so hell-bent on making the Virtual Boy work that it keeps on reincarnating the idea until it works? Why Nintendo, why make me suffer!?

It’s understandable.

Female Gamers Are Here To Stay

“Women can’t play video games!”

An all too common exclamation plastered among the internet. Some posting snarky comments on pictures while others take it to the extreme with movements such as #gamergate.

This stigma is apparently spreading more and more each day, the most recent being with the news of a League of Legends team proceeding to the championships.

What should be an amazing pat on the back and a high five for the team is focused solely on one subject. Not their mastery of characters, not their skills and unity as a team, but one other minor detail.

They have a girl on the team.

In Defense of Delayed Content in Video Games

You arrive home. Excitedly slamming the door closed as you turn around to stare at the glossy package containing Super Mario Maker in your hands.

Your mind races with hundreds of ideas you have. Dozens of Bowsers you have to run through with a star! A level where you drop and navigate through an army of flying Koopas! A stretch of land with fireworks blasting in the air as Mario yells “Wahoo!” as you land on the flagpole!

You rip the package open, insert the disc, and with a familiar soft grind of the Wii U you sit down and smile as the title screen shows the game. You go immediately to the level editor after going through the tutorial and – see only a single line of icons.

What happened to all the amazing icons you saw on the videos? All the content they mentioned?

Let’s Play: A Game Changer in the World of Promotions

The world of gaming is changing.

It’s a cliche sounding phrase but to those in the gaming industry it’s a common part of nature. The methods by which companies sell games has been put to the test due to an overwhelming amount of noise in the advertising sphere.

Buy our game! It has cool graphics! Look, shiny stuff!

Instead of depending on traditional flashy commercials and glossy magazine ads, companies are now seeking novel ways to get the word out about their game. Many spend millions on commercials to get out the game while indie developers who don’t have that amount of money have had to go another route.

You could spend countless hours going through forums promoting the game. You could hire a small agency to promote it through social media. You could spend hours, upon hours cracking your head in the basking light of your Ikea lamp for that perfect tagline.

Or, you could simply have the people that will enjoy the game promote it for you.

Super Mario Maker: Design. Play. Fun

Mario is a staple of any household. That bushy mustache. That red cap. That iconic “WAHOO!” at the top of his lungs as he soars through the air. This plumber is among the most recognizable characters in history and for good reason.

The series on paper sounds a bit simplistic: Running from one end of the screen to the other. Not surprisingly it thrives mostly on creativity. Nintendo has managed to make games with unique concepts, looks, and environments that continue to impress fans both new and old, such as a level designed around Vincent Van Starry Night, a world of cake, and even outer space.

As a result fans have always been inspired, and found novel ways of designing levels. Either by talking with friends about cool ideas (“Mario running through a cake level in space!”) or by taking a more tech-heavy approach and actually making those levels with assets from games, most notably Super Mario World.

It’s no surprise that Nintendo would celebrate the 30th anniversary of this iconic character in a unique way, and they seem to have found a perfect way to do so. Why design another Mario game if you can give that power to the people who have the most creativity and experience with the series?

Introducing Super Mario Maker.

Amiibo Drama: Nintendo’s Viral Product

Amiibos.

The word alone invokes images of standing in line outside of a Gamestop alongside 20 other people in the heat for hours. Eagerly awaiting and anticipating for that young, tatted employee to come out and open up the door so you can dash to the counter.

Images of dozens of persons rushing towards the back of a Toy’s R Us, tripping on the haphazardly laid out cars and toys on the floor. Feeling the fear that only a lone deer feels in a pack of lions as you run with all your might in front of a middle-aged man towards those plastic figures dangling on the metal hooks.

Maybe, it might mean incessantly refreshing a website while you await the posting of that Ganondorf figure. Thinking “I could be doing something productive with my time …” as you get excited for a moment as the website takes a bit longer than usual to load. Pounding away at a single key for minutes, glancing at the clock in between.

We’ve all been there.