Dare to Play the Game

Ultimatiums, High Prices, and Barely Nothing to Show For Your Fourth of July weekend, welcome to the drunken firework spectacular known as Dare to Play the Game.

Welcome to another edition of Dare to Play the Game. I’m your partially brain-dead host going through news and gaming features for your pleasure. That’s right for your pleasure! While you sit there with marshmallows and hot chocolate sauce waiting for Adrian to join you in a festive celebration of lights you ge… a gaming column! Well, what are you waiting for, lets check out releases!

Releases for the Week of July 3rd, 2006.

PS2

Ruff Trigger: The Vancore Conspiracy (pushed from last week)
Ultimate Board Game Classics

X-Box 360

Lord of the Rings: Battle for Middle Earth II

Well, that sucks. Seriously. Unless you were waiting for the new 360 Lord of the Rings game or were into parcheesi, you are SOL. Though in all truthfulness, the new Lord of the Rings game should be pretty good; Real Time Strategy has just been begging for Lord of the Rings and hopefully this delivers.

Quick news stories of interest

Ubisoft Boss: Sony Must Drop PS3 Price in 2007Guillemot expresses concern about ability to compete with Xbox 360.
In comments made to the Bloomberg financial news service, Ubisoft president Yves Guillemot expressed optimism about the prospects for the next-generation videogame console systems, but tempered this optimism by voicing concern regarding the competitive position of Sony’s PlayStation 3.According to the report, Guillemot stated that while Sony’s next-generation offering would see “enormous demand” by the system’s early-adopters, he was concerned that the system’s pricing would present a significant entry barrier to those wanting to purchase the system after its initial launch.

In order to counteract this potential issue, Gulliemot suggested that Sony drop the price of the PlayStation 3 in 2007 in order to more effectively compete with Microsoft’s Xbox 360. Despite Microsoft denials to the contrary, many industry analysts have speculated that the company will drop the price of its next-generation console in order to make it more attractive relative to the PlayStation 3’s higher price point.

Man, Ubisoft opens up a Bulgarian studio last week and now they are making threats to Sony. I mean who do they think they are (*scans over releases, Rayman, Ghost Recon, Rainbow Six, CSI, Splinter Cell, and Warlords…what?!!*)…ummm Sony…pay attention. You need to lower the price on your PS3, so I can see a Warlords release on a console in my near future. Yeah, like that will happen. Seriously though, Guillemot brings up a good point, Sony does need to compete with Microsoft. Sony has won the last two battles (no matter what you folks think about the original X-Box), but they are in serious trouble here. I understand that they will lose money, all consoles do. Give now, so you can gain later. It is part of any business model. Fact. And games have to be…(*handed another article*)

Sony Takes Another HitThe Associated Press is reporting that Japanese tax authorities have ordered Sony to pay an estimated 27.9 billion yen ($243 million) in additional taxes.
According to a statement issued by Sony, Japanese tax authorities found fault with tax payments related to profits from PlayStation console sales and profits from transactions relating to CD and DVD business operations between Sony and a number of overseas subsidiaries from 1999 to 2004.The taxation bureau calculated Sony’s income in Japan to be 74.4 billion yen ($647 million) more than the amount it orignally reported.

Well that’s interesting, Sony frauding the government pretty much. Nice, no wonder they want to charge $599 or more for a machine, and $59+ (yes plus…)for the average game. Sony is starting to really look like they are in trouble. *looks at PS2, PS1, receiver, speakers, dvd player, etc* This isn’t good folks! I like Sony, really; but they need to get their rear in gear (I made a funny..yes I did). I won’t hesitate to switch to X-Box 360 or back to Nintendo if I need to. In fact the virtual console is looking better everyday. Not to mention I’ve taken a renewed interest in import Sega Saturn games.

Ode To Morgan Webb

Wow, Michael; you are really including me on a weekly column…how nice of you. I want you *dreaming inexplicable thoughts continuing for several minutes*..*zip*. Anyhow, Morgan proves this week by wearing just a normal half buttoned shirt and jeans that she looks oh so beautiful. I really need to stop watching G4 so much, it’s starting to cut in on my me-time. *sigh*

Reasons the Sega Genesis was better than the SNES

Mortal Kombat: THE BLOOODDD!

One of the first controversial revolutions in gaming (besides whether or not Pac-Man and Ms. Pac-Man was really the same character except in drag, Packy had a thing about Rocky Horror), blood in video games. Mortal Kombat was a highly touted game for release on both on the Sega Genesis and Super Nintendo consoles. Super Nintendo decided to release it with no blood, and just a whole bunch of gray sweat. While Sega Genesis, bless their hearts decided to work in a brilliant blood code (At the story line screen, press: A, B, A, C, A, B, B) and make the best translation of the original (at least under future consoles and remakes). I mean how silly is it for Nintendo to include fatalities and gruesome moves with gray sweat. It’s disgusting, and honestly just an insult. Sega at least gave people an option and made the game a lot more realistic in the process (as realistic as it is to be battling a four armed demon in the underworld that goes by the name of Goro).

Retro Game of the Week

Spy vs Spy for the NES/SMS

Spy vs Spy was a very interesting game for the original NES and Sega Master Systems. Sega made it into a tiny card for their system and NES made it a standard cart. However, this game’s quirkiness made it so fun. You were either the black or white spy and spent all your time going through the various rooms finding what you need so you can exit the stage and go on to the next one. In the process you set up weapons of destruction for your enemy spy to find. This included time bombs, electric pails of water and just good ole explosives. Not to mention if you met your adversary in the same room, you then got a fight on your hands with whatever you could find at your disposal. It was so simplistic but so engaging and could be called the first deathmatch game. Later we would see this game remade for the GBA and X-Box. It was also supposed to be remade for the PS2, but was later scrapped :/. If you have played the X-Box version, please let me know, I am curious how good it is.

Some Final Thoughts and Mutterings

Thank you for joining me in another column of Dare to Play the Game. This week has been a little crazy to be honest because of the holidays. Not to mention, I ummm, ran over a dog this weekend and it kinda messed up my car. So $700 later, and dealing with a frantic holiday, I’m here for my and your amusement. I appreciate all letters that don’t start with 4 letter words, and look forward to another column next week. This is my outlet, and I hope to bring a little sense to your gaming life. Take care.

As Always,
Kedrix of Aldrianian
(*The Forgotten One*)