Thursday, March 27, 2008

The Tribe Has Spoken


Polls (with a +-3% degree of accuracy) never lie - It seems fitting that the pic for this post is of a game with 360 box art (Don King Presents: Prizefighters, set for a June release) considering the results of the latest As the Gaming World Turns poll. When asked to choose their favorite console, gamers overwhelming chose the Xbox 360. The turnout was significantly higher with this poll as 102 people voted (80 more than last time!) with 78% of gamers choosing the 360. The PS3 and Wii each earned 8% of votes and 3% were still nostalgic for the Atari Jaguar. It seems that despite some nagging issues (RRD, Xbox Live isn't free) that the Xbox 360's positives (great online service, excellent game library, Achievement Points, tons of downloadable content) far outweigh its negatives.
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Will Microsoft be able to retain its console's popularity? That depends on the answers to the following questions: Can the Wii maintain its high sales rate or will the novelty finally wear off? How much ground will the PS3 make up with some long overdue console exclusives (most notably MGS4), the launch of Home and the emergence of Blu-ray, or can it even overtake the 360 and the Wii? Will this be the year Microsoft feels the loss of its exclusive developer agreements (Bioware, etc.) and can Rare step up to the plate? By the end of 2008 we should know the answer to these questions and have a clearer understanding of which console is going to dominate gaming for the next 5 years.
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Prizefighter giveaway, Don King wig not included - If you're interested in winning a free copy of Don King Presents: Prizefighter, read the following press release I received today.
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Don King Productions and 2K Sports today announced they will team up for an exclusive giveaway of five copies of the most anticipated sports release this spring, Don King Presents: Prizefighter, during the launch of King’s very own digital network, www.DonKingTV.com. A spectacular “Meet Me in St. Louis ” championship doubleheader will be presented, plus several special attractions free to boxing and sports fans worldwide on DonKingTV.com tonight at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, live from the Scottrade Center .
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“This is another new and exciting adventure for us,” said Don King. “Like the Gateway to the West, we will be taking St. Louis and this trailblazing fight card worldwide via the internet. Fans will be able to see IBF 154-pount champion Cory Spinks take on Verno Phillips and undefeated 140-pounder Devon Alexander against Miguel Callist. We want as many people as possible to see just how great our technology is, so we’re making four exciting hours of action available free of charge.”
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The five lucky winners to receive Don King Presents: Prizefighter will be chosen at random by a computer from viewers who log on to watch the live webcast fight between Cory Spinks and Verno Phillips, while the other ten runner-ups will receive a copy of Major League Baseball® 2K8. Don King Presents: Prizefighter delivers the deepest, most authentic and entertaining boxing experience available. The action within the ring accurately mimics the sport’s tactics and hard knocks by allowing players to create angles and openings using a full arsenal of true 3D, motion captured movement, and punch mechanics found only in the real world sport, until now.
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The life of a boxer is about more than just a night at the fights; it’s about building a career and rising to stardom. 2K Sports has captured that in Don King Presents: Prizefighter – players must train, overcome adversity, get promoted, and avoid temptation to rise in notoriety, all while watching the story of their rise to champion unfold in a unique, live-action, sports documentary style that features real-life legends from the world of boxing. Don King Presents: Prizefighter, will be available June 10, 2008 for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft and this fall for the Wii™ home video game system from Nintendo and the Nintendo DS™. For more information, please visit: www.2ksports.com/prizefighter.
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4 comments:

Eli the Mad Man said...

All you "k0nz013 kings" might wanna start reading the writing on the wall.

This commentary on the death of consoles comes from Sandy Duncan who spent 15 years with Microsoft as their VP of Xbox Europe...

http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/news/former-xbox-exec-proclaims-death-of-consoles-in-510-years/?biz=1

And this one comes from Alex St. John who was one of the creators of Microsoft's DirectX libraries...

http://www.extremetech.com/article2/
0,1697,2277507,00.asp

Terry Terrones said...

I just read both. Sandy Duncan's piece isn't much and he's just saying his opinion.

As for that Alex St. John interview, I'v read some of it before. While he makes some good points, he comes across as an arrogant windbag with a primary argument that console gamers pay $50 just for the box (somewhat true) and that the problem with PC gaming is all Intel and Microsoft's fault. Whah! Its exactly the kind of position you would expect the guy who co-founded WildTangent to take. Because he's pimping his own product as the solution throughout the entire article, there is no way to view him as having a subjective opinion. He also glossed over the PC's real problem as a game machine - for most players having a high running PC for games is out of their price range and is just plain too technical to figure out.

I believe PC gaming will be around for a long time because its built for MMO's, but I also think it has a future as a casual game machine. If you've ever used Steam you can see how great casual gaming on the PC can be (I love AudioSurf), but to say the console is on its last legs is flat out nuts. The open up the box and play factor, its ability to be a home movie player and its affordability make it too appealing for gamers who want a less complicated way to game. Throw in the fact that the future of console games will most likely be in downloadable form (reducing their cost significantly) and it sure looks to me that consoles aren't going anywhere anytime soon.

Eli the Mad Man said...

Bwaaaaaaaaahahah! Sucks hearing how your gaming platform of choice is gonna be a pricey door stop in a few years, doesn't it?

Must REALLY suck hearing it from two people who used to work for Microsoft. I mean it would suck to me. Hearing it from the unwashed nimrods who keep railing about how the PC is dead every year (and it is every year for the last 20 years) is one thing... oh wait, there are people on this site who foolishly do that isn't there?

But hearing it from people who actually KNOW something... ouch. "Opinions" from uninformed people who have a problem opening a bag of Funions (see every single one of us here) compared to the informed opinion of two big wigs IN the industry? MAJOR difference!

Suck up it "windbag"... quit being so defensive (and whiny)... and take your medicine like a man.

Oops, never mind. I forgot was talking to a (reportedly) "male" Coldplay fan. ;)

Terry Terrones said...

I'm shocked, shocked to read a pompous, egomaniacal, anti-Coldplay rant from a PC gamer with his head so far up his butt that he can't even see the value of console gaming.

Wait, no I'm not. Its just Eli, the world's angriest-for-no-good reason-PCaholic. I know you bow down to anyone who worships at the alter of the Mickey Mouse and keyboard but your blind faith in your overpriced gaming platform is laughable.

Sure Alex "Olivia Newton" St. John and Sandy "Peter Pan" Duncan are IN the industry, but as you so brilliantly illustrated in your last post, opinions are like assholes - everyone has one, regardless if they are IN the industry or not. And more often than not, predicting the future of anything is an exercise in futility, whether someone is an expert or not. I'm certain it was some music "insider" and "expert" who thought it would be a good idea for Eddie Murphy to release an album. A more rational person outside of the industry would have laughed that idea off and we would never have had to be tortured by "Party All the Time".

So let me repeat my earlier statement. The day we see PC's wipe out the console is the same day we see a good Madonna movie. Ain't. Ever. Going. To. Happen.