I'm gonna say it. It's long past time someone did. The Nintendo Wii's effective lifespan is over. Last week, there were a rash of small, quickly ignored articles about how Nintendo is going to remain on the cutting edge (the other authors' emphasis, not mine); there's just one I really want to talk about though. It wonders if the Wii can earn back the "hardcore" (I'll call them just "core," but that's a different rant) gaming crowd. The short answer is "No." Among the people who actually play games, the Wii is a joke. Sacrificing high definition graphics for usability was a bold move, and it's a great business move, but it only really works if there's software to back it up.
All of the games made in-house by Nintendo are amazing. Pretty much everything else is awful. There are so many terrible games out there that the Interwebs created a new term: Shovelware. I know of only two games that could come close to drawing in core gamers, but they came way too late and are still too quirky to change the trend. As a real gaming console, Wii was almost dead on arrival.
What drove Wii's sales was price, family-friendly appearance, and the promise of good games...eventually. The good games came out, and I played them, but I was reminded (again) that I don't really like Mario, Zelda, or Metroid. Poor planning on my part. The Wiimote, cute as it is, is simply not accurate enough for any real precision work on which many of my favorite games thrive. The graphics were adequate, but not as immersive as other systems. There's a lot wrong with the Wii, but that never seemed to matter.
Good ole Reggie et al. did a marvelous job pitching this to all groups, but they found their greatest toehold among casual gamers. My Xbox controller has, depending on how creative you wish to be, 14 buttons that I must keep track of at all times and use appropriately. Wii's initial goal was to emulate that kind of high-end gameplay, but effectively use two buttons. Lofty goals, but developers never really got on board. Nintendo knew what it wanted and knew how to get it, but third-parties still haven't quite gotten the gist of it.
If the only criteria we look at are units sold and money made, Wii is the irrefutable victor of this generation (so far). Yet, all of my friends have had more fun with their Xbox 360 than they ever would on Wii. Hell, one friend sold a Wii, bought a 360, and regrets ever buying Nintendo's baby.
Wii is innovative and fun (in spurts). It's opened the world of gaming to virtually everyone. It is a resounding success in all the ways that matter to Nintendo, but they'll have to come out with something new soon. Production is finally meeting demand. Reduced scarcity will reduce interest, and things get less rosy.
Nintendo still has a lot of Nerd Credits in its inventory, but it's got to find a better balance of innovation and familiarity for its next generation, or the core gamers might just resign themselves to a Mario-less world and keep playing something else in high definition on a console that includes a damn DVD player.
Change is all well and good, but Sony's proven time and again that it won't mean much if it alienates the core fanbase. Casual gamers make up a huge portion of the population and spend lots of money, but it's the core gamers who inspire the innovative spirit of those in the industry; don't sacrifice them for an easy buck.
P.S. To illustrate the concept of Shovelware, Action Girlz Racing exists.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Can we have a new story yet?
Okay. AIG did a colossally stupid thing with these bonuses. They must have known what the backlash would be. Even a hint of excess right now is pretty much guaranteed to piss a lot of people off. They told the government what was coming and weren't cut off at the knees, which amounts to permission in the business world. Lots and lots of balls have been dropped over the past few months. This is just one more.
Over the past year, AIG has gotten more than $170 billion in federal aid. The bonuses total up to $165 million. The bonuses account for 0.097% of the total federal aid. PERCENT! The federal aid is more than a THOUSAND times greater than the bonuses. This is a literal drop in the bucket.
There are a lot of interesting quotes from senators and congressman. Some ultimatums, some threats, some promises, some hypocrisy. Status quo. This new tax is wrong--more wrong than the bonuses.
The government's job it to withdraw taxes for specific purposes (programs, services, The Beast, etc.). This is a tax of vengeance and drumming up public opinion. I am embarrassed on their behalf.
We have far larger problems right now. The smallest effective denomination to get us out of this mess is hundreds of billions of dollars leading up to trillions of dollars. How much money have we burned on witch hunts, hearings? How will these efforts help us even in the short term? The best we've done is refocus the public on smaller problems--scarcely a good thing in my estimation.
Right now, more than ever, we need to try and see the big picture. This money almost could not matter less in that big picture. President Obama--the supposed pragmatist--needs to move beyond this incident and lead us in the right direction, not get caught up with the pundits.
AIG beat the system. We deal with it this time, learn from our mistakes, and do our damnedest to prevent this nonsense from happening in the future.
I'm normally all about the principle of the matter, but this needs to just go away.
Over the past year, AIG has gotten more than $170 billion in federal aid. The bonuses total up to $165 million. The bonuses account for 0.097% of the total federal aid. PERCENT! The federal aid is more than a THOUSAND times greater than the bonuses. This is a literal drop in the bucket.
There are a lot of interesting quotes from senators and congressman. Some ultimatums, some threats, some promises, some hypocrisy. Status quo. This new tax is wrong--more wrong than the bonuses.
The government's job it to withdraw taxes for specific purposes (programs, services, The Beast, etc.). This is a tax of vengeance and drumming up public opinion. I am embarrassed on their behalf.
We have far larger problems right now. The smallest effective denomination to get us out of this mess is hundreds of billions of dollars leading up to trillions of dollars. How much money have we burned on witch hunts, hearings? How will these efforts help us even in the short term? The best we've done is refocus the public on smaller problems--scarcely a good thing in my estimation.
Right now, more than ever, we need to try and see the big picture. This money almost could not matter less in that big picture. President Obama--the supposed pragmatist--needs to move beyond this incident and lead us in the right direction, not get caught up with the pundits.
AIG beat the system. We deal with it this time, learn from our mistakes, and do our damnedest to prevent this nonsense from happening in the future.
I'm normally all about the principle of the matter, but this needs to just go away.
Monday, March 9, 2009
My Letter to the Editor
I've got a job now. As with most jobs though, there is some down time to be found. I tend to devote much of my time reading through the Opinion section of whatever newspapers I can think of at the time. I came across one letter to the editor in the Washington Post today from someone in Sterling, Virginia that said, essentially, that the rich should consider their impending tax hikes an implicit "thank you" to all the middle-class workers on whose backs such fortunes were made.
Oh my.
This assumes, of course, that all wealthy (and, by implication, successful) people have somehow exploited the working man. Sure, there are some who fall into that category, but I'd wager that most of the truly wealthy are either the beneficiaries of Old Money or sound investments. Does a person really need a yacht, seven cars, or a third home? Arguably not, but that doesn't change the fact that people have all these things. Those people made those buying decisions because they had the funds to do so. Those people have expenses to maintain all those things. Why should any of that money go to bail out people who lose their shirts because they get stuck under a house they should never have had in the first place? Where does that supposed obligation come from?
The purpose of taxes is to pay the government for the services it offers. Such things include, education, Social Security, MediCare, welfare, and dozens of others. Excepting the first in the list, who uses these services? Not the rich. Why should the onus for these services rest solely on the shoulders of those who have escaped needing them?
I admit that I'm pretty insulated from such things. Also, I'm in a really sour mood. Seems to me that this is selfishness and jealousy at work. "We want all the perks, but none of the burden." Maybe that's what will come to replace the American Dream once we complete our changeover to socialism.
Right now we have an incredibly well-educated president who is using his superior speaking skills to convince the public to ignore all the problems with our current course:
* We still have no plan to save the banks (not that I necessarily think we should).
* We've been told that the DalaiBama will wage a war of sorts on pork-filled bills just after he signed more than $700,000,000,000 dollars of pork into law.
* We are at the beginning of a global depression.
* Global tensions are only going to rise as resources become scarce.
* Our president is closing Guantanamo Bay because of violations to the Geneva Convention...terrorists weren't at the Convention and non-citizens don't get Constitutional rights. Closing the camp is a publicity move to help Americans feel more warm and fuzzy inside. Obama's plan for Iraq is the same fucking thing Bush said, but it's okay because Obama's so very cute...and black...not that it matters.
What's the solution?
1. Stop messing with other countries
2. Acknowledge those in the military as the heroes they are; fund them, maintain military strength even in times of peace
3. Improve our education system. Civics isn't even taught in most places. Only successful schools get money. "No Child Left Behind" is a nice sentiment, but only hamstrings those who are actually able to excel. The Standards of Learning make it impossible for learning to be fun because teachers are penalized for deviating from the "necessary" material. Football teams get new jerseys every year, but bands and orchestras are forced to practice in asbestos-laced closets due to a "lack of funds." Why is it that every other industrialized nation can learn at least two languages to fluency and we are proud with mediocrity in English?
4. Practice what we preach. We are so anxious to go into other countries and show them how democracy is done. It's a good year when 35% of the population leaves their homes to vote for the next "Leader of the Free World." la-tee-fucking-da
5. Choose an official language. Wah, we'll be mean to all those illegal aliens. Oh well. If people want to retain their language and culture in their new neighborhood, fine, but English should be necessary to get around. What possible good reason could there be for translating the driving test into so many different languages?
6. Adopt American babies. I know those commercials can be tempting, but there are a lot of lost souls in foster care here. Help them. Other countries have their problems, it sucks, but our first obligation should be to help as much as possible at home and then look elsewhere.
7. We are not the world's police officer. Genocide is a terrible thing, but it's not our problem. We like to claim the moral high ground for such things, but let's not forget where this very land came from. Maybe we feel the need to atone for the sins of previous generations by trying to prevent all bad things happening, but a government cannot be a person. A government's exclusive purpose is to preserve itself and the people under its umbrella. Anyone outside that boundary, however desperate their situation, is simply extra.
8. Elect me as King. Seriously. You wanted change, right?
9. Understand that disagreeing does not mean partisan politics, it means disagreeing. When normal people don't see eye-to-eye, it sends them back to the negotiating table to try and find some middle-ground. When politicians don't see eye-to-eye they dig in their heels and scream "partisanship!" I hate politics. I hate politicians. The root of all evil on the planet is the politician. Disagree? Start proving me wrong.
10. Ban "reality" shows. This madness has to stop. There is no more efficient way of killing braincells than believing any of that is real. I wish I was kidding.
11. Last, but certainly not least, GET OVER YOURSELVES! "We're the best country on the planet," "We have the best form of government," "Capitalism is better than everything else," any of these sound familiar? I'm not gonna be the one to say any of these are wrong, but there is no place for such statements in rational conversation. "Best" is not a real measurement and, thus, can't be used as an accurate point of comparison. There's also a lot of bias because, y'know, we live here. Plenty of other countries get along just fine. Maybe it's ignorance on their part, but it's arrogance on ours. Which is worse?
I still have my hope, but it's a fragile light right now.
Oh my.
This assumes, of course, that all wealthy (and, by implication, successful) people have somehow exploited the working man. Sure, there are some who fall into that category, but I'd wager that most of the truly wealthy are either the beneficiaries of Old Money or sound investments. Does a person really need a yacht, seven cars, or a third home? Arguably not, but that doesn't change the fact that people have all these things. Those people made those buying decisions because they had the funds to do so. Those people have expenses to maintain all those things. Why should any of that money go to bail out people who lose their shirts because they get stuck under a house they should never have had in the first place? Where does that supposed obligation come from?
The purpose of taxes is to pay the government for the services it offers. Such things include, education, Social Security, MediCare, welfare, and dozens of others. Excepting the first in the list, who uses these services? Not the rich. Why should the onus for these services rest solely on the shoulders of those who have escaped needing them?
I admit that I'm pretty insulated from such things. Also, I'm in a really sour mood. Seems to me that this is selfishness and jealousy at work. "We want all the perks, but none of the burden." Maybe that's what will come to replace the American Dream once we complete our changeover to socialism.
Right now we have an incredibly well-educated president who is using his superior speaking skills to convince the public to ignore all the problems with our current course:
* We still have no plan to save the banks (not that I necessarily think we should).
* We've been told that the DalaiBama will wage a war of sorts on pork-filled bills just after he signed more than $700,000,000,000 dollars of pork into law.
* We are at the beginning of a global depression.
* Global tensions are only going to rise as resources become scarce.
* Our president is closing Guantanamo Bay because of violations to the Geneva Convention...terrorists weren't at the Convention and non-citizens don't get Constitutional rights. Closing the camp is a publicity move to help Americans feel more warm and fuzzy inside. Obama's plan for Iraq is the same fucking thing Bush said, but it's okay because Obama's so very cute...and black...not that it matters.
What's the solution?
1. Stop messing with other countries
2. Acknowledge those in the military as the heroes they are; fund them, maintain military strength even in times of peace
3. Improve our education system. Civics isn't even taught in most places. Only successful schools get money. "No Child Left Behind" is a nice sentiment, but only hamstrings those who are actually able to excel. The Standards of Learning make it impossible for learning to be fun because teachers are penalized for deviating from the "necessary" material. Football teams get new jerseys every year, but bands and orchestras are forced to practice in asbestos-laced closets due to a "lack of funds." Why is it that every other industrialized nation can learn at least two languages to fluency and we are proud with mediocrity in English?
4. Practice what we preach. We are so anxious to go into other countries and show them how democracy is done. It's a good year when 35% of the population leaves their homes to vote for the next "Leader of the Free World." la-tee-fucking-da
5. Choose an official language. Wah, we'll be mean to all those illegal aliens. Oh well. If people want to retain their language and culture in their new neighborhood, fine, but English should be necessary to get around. What possible good reason could there be for translating the driving test into so many different languages?
6. Adopt American babies. I know those commercials can be tempting, but there are a lot of lost souls in foster care here. Help them. Other countries have their problems, it sucks, but our first obligation should be to help as much as possible at home and then look elsewhere.
7. We are not the world's police officer. Genocide is a terrible thing, but it's not our problem. We like to claim the moral high ground for such things, but let's not forget where this very land came from. Maybe we feel the need to atone for the sins of previous generations by trying to prevent all bad things happening, but a government cannot be a person. A government's exclusive purpose is to preserve itself and the people under its umbrella. Anyone outside that boundary, however desperate their situation, is simply extra.
8. Elect me as King. Seriously. You wanted change, right?
9. Understand that disagreeing does not mean partisan politics, it means disagreeing. When normal people don't see eye-to-eye, it sends them back to the negotiating table to try and find some middle-ground. When politicians don't see eye-to-eye they dig in their heels and scream "partisanship!" I hate politics. I hate politicians. The root of all evil on the planet is the politician. Disagree? Start proving me wrong.
10. Ban "reality" shows. This madness has to stop. There is no more efficient way of killing braincells than believing any of that is real. I wish I was kidding.
11. Last, but certainly not least, GET OVER YOURSELVES! "We're the best country on the planet," "We have the best form of government," "Capitalism is better than everything else," any of these sound familiar? I'm not gonna be the one to say any of these are wrong, but there is no place for such statements in rational conversation. "Best" is not a real measurement and, thus, can't be used as an accurate point of comparison. There's also a lot of bias because, y'know, we live here. Plenty of other countries get along just fine. Maybe it's ignorance on their part, but it's arrogance on ours. Which is worse?
I still have my hope, but it's a fragile light right now.
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