14 DAY TRIAL // I have been always fascinated by gaming consoles and know I come to think, scared of the thought really, that if I were to buy one, I would become a fanatic for sure.
I sometimes come back from work, and it was a marvelous contract killing day, and I just want to get it of the system in some virtual violent way and then just sleep. But I try to stay away from the temptation or else I'll be doomed.
This is why I'm monitoring every piece of gaming console related piece of news. Yes, I admit. It isn't all about work? I just love those little next-gen babies which make my head spin and my hands crawl into the pockets.
And I have decided to write finally about my beloved far away gaming consoles, as I have had the pleasure to encounter two articles regarding the guys from Nintendo that made me say: "Way to go, guys! Well done!"
The first, we already talked about, is about the emergent new breed of hackers - pets, more exactly - puppies. I found out on Kotaku that a DS Lite owner decided to leave home without his adored console and the soon to become dog, thought it should play a little with the brand new miniature full-featured DS Lite?
I don't have to tell you it has broken my heart. Come on? you have your toys. This is a double touchscreen, stylus-bearer and games-craving console.
In conclusion, our angry puppy vs. DS Lite owner called the guys down Nintendo and asked what he could do about this redesigned portable. The call center employee said that, because he chose DS Lite, they will fix it for only 50$. Consequently, every editor who has seen the news rushed to write about the great Nintendo guys.
And I'll give you again the conversation, so you can laugh out loud:
"Nintendo: Nintendo of America! This is ----, how may I help you?
Me: Yeah... um, my puppy ate my DSlite.
Nintendo: (Smothered laughter) oh no!
Me: Yeah, it got pretty mangled. I'm wondering if there's any way I can get it fixed for less than buying a new one.
Nintendo: Well, that depends -- how mangled is it?
Me: Well, it still turns on but the bottom screen is busted, there are teeth marks all over the plastic, and...
Nintendo: Yeah, that doesn't sound like it's fixable.
Me: No, I don't think so.
Nintendo: You said it's a DSlite? You mean you just got it, huh?
Me: Yeah, just about a month ago.
Nintendo: Wow, that's terrible! Usually we charge full price for a replacement, but since you just got it let me see if there's anything I can do...
Me: Thanks so much!
Nintendo: (Sounds of typing...) So it looks like the best I can do is to charge you $50 to repair it, how does that sound?
Me: !"
But this is not the last we've seen about Nintedo this week, as the company also decided to repair all DS Lites with cosmetic cracks issues (of the showcase to be more specific). "In the U.S., the reported number of small cosmetic cracks in the plastic hinge of DS Lite systems represents less than 0.02 percent of the total units sold. This cosmetic issue in no way impacts the gameplay or integrity of the DS Lite. Nintendo stands behind the quality of our products and encourages DS Lite owners to contact our Customer Service Department if they are not happy with the functionality of their systems," said Nintendo representative cited by Kotaku.
I'm wondering why the other gaming consoles manufacturers behave so differently. Microsoft, for example, said it will roll out an Xbox which will not be compatible with the previous released games. The gamers have then gone insane with rage, and also the game developers thinking: "We don't matter at all?"
Did you forget that the gamers are the buyers and if they will decide to neglect the product and go for another one, 'hasta la vista sales' and also, if the developers turn to another console manufacturer, the Xbox will stand alone, without a software coverage.
On the other hand, Sony decided to introduce the license for each game. The strategy implies that when the consumer purchases the game, the gamer will benefit from an exclusive license, meaning that every game has a license and the beneficiary doesn't own the game, even if he has paid for it. As a result, the consumer has only a license to play the game and others can not buy second-hand games. More precisely, Sony is the sole proprietor of every piece of software.
The manufacturer would benefit from this marketing strategy, as it is expected to boom the prices up to the sky. However, this is a double bladed strategy, as the gamers will no longer purchase the same amount of games and the gaming industry leaders could declare war because of such an inconsiderate behavior. Moreover, it could be impossible for those who cannot afford full-price games to invest in the PlayStation 3.
Hardware nonsense in a glossy magazine
The Nintedo guys are the only ones who didn't cause any problems, and if they did try to solve it, as the company has in mind its customers, we all know that if the client is not happy, than you will hit the dust no matter who you are - the industry's leader or a midget.
But the problems for Nintendo's latest high-end Wii have just started, as a renowned magazine - the Arena "World's Smartest Men's Magazine" - published an editorial regarding the Wii which is not so open-hearted, as you will see with your own eyes.
"Nintendo has made a huge deal out of the fact that the Wii isn't following the next-gen herd, concentrating on how we play games, rather than just swanking up the graphics. But while it may not need a high-definition telly like the PS3 and Xbox 360, it DOES need a big fuck-off one. As the PS2's gimmicky EyeToy gadget proved, motion-sensing games don't work on small TVs - you need the on-screen gaming area to be as large as possible to properly read your body's graceful movements (come on, play along). So, despite the Big N pitching itself as the cheap and cheerful option (?170 is the latest unconfirmed price doing the rounds - almost a third of the price of the PS3), you may still find yourself having to fork out for that entertainment centre of plenty after all," writes the magazine.
But the editor doesn't stop here. "We've already established that the Wii suddenly makes video-gaming a physical activity, which is fine if you have a sizeable front room. However, those whose living dens are a little on the small side, or those banking on setting it up in their specialist 'games nook', might want to think again, as even in a spacious demo space I was bumping into people and fairly solid walls left, right and centre trying to hit baseline winners on Wii Tennis. Quite what this means for Nintendo's considerable child clientele, who predominantly have their consoles in their bedrooms, is anyone's guess. Fancy watching the Premiership on the 14" in the kitchen while the little terrors take over your personal man space of an evening? No, didn't think so," bitter-comments the editor.
The problem is that the controller is really very easy to use and the third-party specialists demonstrated this fact several times. What is outraging is to write in vain, showcasing a limited knowledge regarding the subject as you have seen.
I will not comment on this editorial, as I prefer to let you with the conclusions. All I want to say is that, even on this market which doesn't feature stars that screw up every day and where there aren't any tabloids, the rumors rule as in every other entertainment domain. The rumors are the ones that sell and not the information, and if an editor writes a bitter editorial just because he/she felt like writing, everyone buys the information without doubting it first.
Guys? there are many rumors out there but the information is something else. It is usually official and you know it.
