EA Going Communist…Where’s McCarthy When You Need Him?

The BBC reported today a senior executive from Electronic Arts, Gerhard Florin, said game systems should “make way for a single open platform.” I suppose this is Europe where Socialism is the new black. Even game analysts, according to the article, are not only suggesting but predicting this route. If the game companies were to unite under a single console or set-top box, I bet you could guess who would like to snatch them up. I’ll make you hold your breath a little longer. With a plan like this, the gaming industry would be in a world of hurt.

Let’s talk about basic economics. Competition is good. Competition breeds creativity. Imagine how shitty a world we’d live in with a single computer operating system. Linux users wouldn’t be welcoming the newest release of Ubuntu Gutsy Ribbon. We also wouldn’t be so entertained by Apple and Microsoft trying to outdo each other all the time. We get better products because Sony, Microsoft, and Nintendo compete. Remember the days of Sega versus Nintendo?

One console would also create so many barriers to entry for new software companies through a lack of audience and hardware diversification. This would especially become difficult because EA would snatch up the single system as soon as it was released. EA would only need to buy out one company instead of three for exclusive licensing deals on the one console. It would be far too expensive for them to take over three. EA creates great games, but the last thing we need is them snatching up their own competition.

It is suggested the game industry is facing a lot of competition from PC’s and even, yes, Apple. What? Granted both can and do make great gaming platforms but they are not dedicated gaming systems no matter how much you tweak them out. Games will still crash more often than a dedicated console. They also become outdated a lot quicker. Game systems are becoming media centers for living rooms. You want to make the gaming industry better, stop making them game systems into media centers. I don’t need another DVD player in my living room; I have 5 or 6 between my computers, game systems, HD-DVD player and upconverting DVD player.

Give us a break EA. Shut your trap and just keep on making games.

Daddy is Only Going to Buy You One Console this Year

Today Sony announced the 40 gig PlayStation 3 to be released on November 2nd for $399. Unfortunately we lose PlayStation 2 backwards compatibility and two USB ports. The 80 gig model will also see an immediate price drop from $599 to $499. What does this mean for you? Absolutely nothing. You can run and scream to mommy and daddy that it’s cheaper and they should buy you one, but what are you going to play on it? Not a damn thing. If you want a PlayStation 3 this Christmas, get your parents convinced they need a Blue-Ray player. The games will come eventually, but sell them on the movie stance. Sony claims the backwards compatibility was a second priority and could be brushed aside. I don’t know about you, but I’m still running a first generation PlayStation 2 that will open the bay if you ask real nicely and won’t allow me to get any further in Final Fantasy XII due to some loading issues.

The video game industry has always been criticized for not operating on the cannibalistic strategy most other technology companies use. The idea is when a new product is released it must consumer the previous generation. Nintendo did this with the Game Boys even though there wasn’t a real paradigm shift with that system until the DS which will only run GBA software. Microsoft sort of did it with the Xbox360 by allowing select titles to run with backwards compatibility. The PlayStation 3 needs this feature unless you never owned a PlayStation 2. I won’t be buying the 40gig version. Consumers holding out on the PS3 has led to price drops and new models. Just hold out a little longer for and I think we’ll finally get what we won’t, but again this doesn’t mean anything without good game.

Onto the Wii. Yeah I want one too for Christmas, but again no games other than Wii Sports. Wait until next Spring for Super Smash Brothers Brawl and Mario Kart. I don’t think Super Mario has the draw it once did after Super Mario Sunshine but that may be a reason for you to snag a Wii as well. However, if you are waiting to get a Wii for those titles to come out, I would expect the console drought to continue well into their releases. People are going to snag Wii’s just for these titles. Oh the fun that will be had. At least for now, you can play all your Gamecube games on it.

Xbox360? Alright, I have to say something first. You may have picked up on this, but I am an Apple fan. I run a Mac Pro and a Powerbook. I never look forward to having to use a PC at work. However, I LOVE my Xbox360 and I’m not even playing it that much once I beat Tiger Woods ‘08. Other than the lack of integrated HD-DVD player, the Xbox360 is a pretty solid console. The dashboard works really well and it’s a pretty effective media center. Although, I think the PS3 has more potential for this purpose in the long run. The most important thing is Xbox Live. This is the way online gaming should be. You pay a flat rate and get to play all the games you want. Subscriptions aren’t based to a single games. Microsoft got online gaming right (if you ignore EA titles because they’re too cheap to let Microsoft run servers for them). The 360 has also just seen the release of Halo 3 and Bioshock which people are eating up. I don’t care for first person shooters on anything but a computer so I won’t be picking them up.

If you want my ultimate advice, the silent assassin in all this and the console to ask for at a cheap enough price to be able to ask for more, the Nintendo DS. I’m not kidding. It’s incredibly portable and a complete blast to play. There are a lot of great games for it. My personal collection Final Fantasy III, Pokemon Diamond, Mario Kart DS, and New Super Mario Brothers. My only main gripe with the DS is how awful their online system works. It does work, but it could be SO much better. I bought my DS before I went to Europe for 3 weeks. When you spend night on trains every few days, it comes in handy. My recommendation will probably change next holiday season, but I think the major set-top consoles need to be hashed out a little more.