411 Games Fact or Fiction 08.19.06: Microsoft's XNA, the Wii, Jack Thompson, and more!
Posted by Tommy Coloma on 08.19.2006
Caleb Newby and Shawn Struck discuss Microsoft's XNA Game Studio, the Wii's next-gen status, price gouging, 1080p, Texas Hold 'Em, Adam Sessler, and Jack Thompson in this action-packed edition of Fact or Fiction!
Your eyes don't deceive you. Due to complications that were beyond my control (really!), last week's Fact or Fiction was released earlier this week instead of Friday of last week. So what does that mean? Two editions of Fact or Fiction within a few days of each other! If you missed the previous edition, check it out here. In it, Sean Garmer and Jordan Williams show their video game prowess as they talk PSP price cuts, Final Fantasy XII, and game addiction among other things.
Before we get things going I'd like to share a response that I got for last week's Fact or Fiction column. This was sent in by Rob from Jupiter, Florida -
Both Sean and Jordan address an interesting issue with game addiction versus television addiction this week. While I do believe that gaming can be psychologically addictive, I feel that television addiction is a much more significant issue (particularly with the advent of Tivo), however, TV addiction will never get the attention it deserves. Despite the ever growing number of gamers out there, gaming still carries a negative connotation making it a much easier target than the significantly more powerful TV industry. TV has been around much longer and is engrained into American culture so it gets a free pass for the most part.
Do you agree or disagree with what our writers have to say? Feel free to give us your thoughts.
Alright. Lets get started -
1. Microsoft's XNA Game Studio will pave the way for new and innovative gaming experiences.
Shawn Struck: FACT.
Even taking into account Sturgeon's Law, this is a brilliant way to court the homebrew market and encourage lots of independent, small press gaming studios. Add that according to Boyd Multerer, Product Unit Manager at XNA, an independent developer license will be a mere $99 plus the fact that the Torque engine has been ported (the engine behind Marble Blast) it should make for some really fun games. The only glitch I can see right now is that at present, when they ship XNA Game Studio Express this fall, you will be able to share your final product with anyone on your windows PC that you want, but there isn't support for sharing Xbox binaries other than sending your source code around. Once they iron that issue out, I think the XNA development community will explode.
Caleb Newby: FACT.
Without a doubt. When you allow people freedom to create like Microsoft is doing with their Game Studio, you will get a lot of crap. But you will also get innovative and unique games from dedicated gamers and programmers that you wouldn't be able to see otherwise. Anyone who enjoys hunting down independent developer games for the PC knows the potentially great and unexpected games that can be found. To have this support for a console is tremendous to gamers and programmers alike. Not to mention the reports that some colleges and universities will be using this as a part of their programming curriculum.
And one thing I've found - don't underestimate the creativity of video game players when they have the ability to create. Take a look at the PC mod community to see what is possible. Hey, even Spore is based upon the premise that gamers love to create. Giving them the XNA Game Studio for only $99 is only a good thing.
Score: 1 for 1
2. The Wii is the only true next-gen console.
Shawn Struck: FICTION.
This is based on a statement American McGee recently made in an interview. He went on to say "Nintendo is focused on innovation and games. The others are focused on making money."
Yeah, because, as a business with a bottom line and stockholders and profit margins, Nintendo sure hates having money.
The statement is so hollow as to be near meaningless; Microsoft, Nintendo or Sony could have released new consoles with sleek, chrome-plated exteriors housing the guts of an Intellivision duct-taped to an alarm clock and y'know what? They'd still be well within their rights to still call it a "next generation" console just because it would be the next hardware release in the company's generation.
I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader see if they chose to base their definition of the term on graphical prowess or online functionality or hardware attachments and etc. One definition is really just as valid as any other once you consider how nebulous the term can be.
Caleb Newby: FICTION.
This question depends on the definition and perception of what "next-gen" really is. To the vast majority a next generation console is pimped out new console that costs more than we want it to at launch that causes us to say "How can anything look more lifelike than THAT?!." If that is the definition, the Wii is the only console that isn't "next-gen" by typical standards. The Wii is less of a graphical upgrade over the GameCube than gamers have come to expect, and its price point is going to be drastically lower than the 360 or PS3. That doesn't change the fact that the Wii is getting most of the positive buzz from the gaming community as the must have next generation console.
Now if we were to split hairs and describe "next-gen" as an evolution of the future of gaming in how it is played and perceived, then sure, the Wii is the only one to fit that category. But in the end, the Wii, 360, and PS3 are all considered the next generation alike from John Q. Casualgamer to Alan T. Hardcore.
Score: 2 for 2
3. Sony's announcement of the PS3's $600 price tag during E3 has empowered both Microsoft and Nintendo to price their systems much higher than they would have had Sony announced a more consumer-friendly price.
Shawn Struck: FICTION.
The high price point hasn't really deterred Sony from its initial plans nor has it emboldened Microsoft or Nintendo to announce higher price points for their consoles.
In the incredibly unlikely event that Sony can't move as many PS3s as originally planned, they'll either drop prices on the system hardware or include games in bundles for very little additional money.
The initial game console release for each generation are loss-leaders for all 3 companies; the way the business works is that they make their money back in software sales to cover the loss they'll be taking in pricing their console below manufacturing costs per unit. Software is easy to manufacture and bundle. Hardware? No, not so much.
Nintendo and Microsoft would have to be nuttier than a Chinese Chicken Salad to raise prices for their consoles above what's been announced.
The low price of the Wii assures Nintendo that it ends up on a lot of Christmas wish lists. The X-Box360's price point is acceptable for many, has the bundled Live online service and is HD-ready to boot. The PLAYSTATION 3 has the most hardware muscle and brings a new HD standard to the table, but the price point is gi-normous. But~! Compare it to the price point of announced price points of stand alone BluRay players, and it looks more affordable, and might make people think "Hey! I can watch movies on this and maybe play a game!". Of course, to fully capture THAT market, they'll have to deliver a remote control sooner than 6 months after the system launch, like what happened with the PS2.
All I can really say is, it's going to be one hell of an interesting Christmas this year.
Caleb Newby: FICTION.
Man, I really seem to like what Shawn has to say it seems. If anything, the PS3's high price point is seen as an opportunity from Microsoft and Nintendo to keep the price gap large and try to steal the throne from King Sony.
As Shawn stated, consoles cause their company to lose money, so the key point is taking a loss while getting their system into as many homes as they can, where they will make back all their losses (and more) from software sales. I fully expect Microsoft to announce a price drop for the 360 or a new bundle deal with the console at the time the PS3 launches. And with the current rumors, the Wii could possibly be cheaper than anyone has expected (granted there are other rumors putting it a little more than expected, but I digress).
I think the deck is stacked against Sony here and they will need one helluva marketing campaign to change their fortunes. Look what has happened to the buzz on the PS3 over the past year. Once the most anticipated console, the PS3 has turned many hardcore gamers against it claiming they aren't looking to buy a BluRay player, they want to play games. Then Sony comes out in arrogance claiming that the PS3 will make the home PC obsolete. It has never been a secret that Sony wants their PlayStation to take over living rooms across the world as the one stop shop for entertainment.
More than anything I want to see Sony admit their mistake and cut the cost of the PS3 as more and more developers shy away from them to the other two. But I echo Shawn's words, it's going to be one hell of an interesting Christmas this year.
Score: 3 for 3
4. 1080p is meaningless this generation.
Caleb Newby: FACT.
I have a confession. I didn't even know what this meant when I read it at first. I knew it had something to do with television resolutions and that was about it. So here is where I am at on this. I own a regular television. About 90% of my friends do too. And while I like the optimal performance for my gaming, buying a new Hi-Def TV is just silly, especially if I am going to get the overpriced PS3. Considering most of my gamer friends don't talk about 1080p I have to say it is meaningless this generation, at least until the end of this upcoming gen's lifespan.
Or I totally misunderstood the question and "this generation" refers to fellow 20somethings. Answer stays the same since they don't know what it means either, by and large.
Shawn Struck: FACT.:
HD-TVs are becoming more and more popular, if sales figures are any indication, but anecdotal evidence on my part shows that it's been a slow market to spread. I agree totally with Newbs-- I don't own a HDTV, none of my friends do either, and until it becomes a more widespread format, 1080p support is a good value-added feature, but not a deal-maker.
Score: 4 for 4
5. Texas Hold ‘Em will be free for download during the first 48 hours of its release on Xbox Live Arcade next week. This move will make this particular game more profitable in the long run.
Caleb Newby: FACT.
People like free stuff. And more profitable is a fairly loose term. Say it wasn't free, how many people would check it out? Now say that you give it out for free for a couple days but then require players to pay to continue. You end up hooking in more people to your long term player base.
But that doesn't change my stance on paying to play a poker game for fake money. Why on earth would I do that when I can play for real money on the computer where there is a likely chance to profit? I understand playing poker for fun, but if it is going to cost something, I want to be able to win more than bragging rights.
Shawn Struck: FACT..
Remember, this game won't merely be "free for only 48 hours after you download the game", it will be "download this game within a 48-hour window and it is free FOREVER". This is a very smart move; it nets Microsoft lots of free publicity, it gets more people to check out the Xbox Live Arcade and it piggybacks on an already hot phenomenon: Texas Hold 'Em.
Score: 5 for 5
6. Adam Sessler clearly put Jack Thompson in his place during their debate last week on video game violence.
Caleb Newby: FACT.
I just wish this was allowed to go on longer. Sessler wasn't intimidated in the least by Thompson, granted Sessler had home court advantage. Why was Thompson on G4 anyway? He was speaking to gamers and his presentation only hurt his cause to his audience. Not only that, but Sessler then counters his points strongly thereby possibly losing support from parents who may have been watching with little Sammy.
Now had this been a longer segment with only Sessler and Thompson, Sessler's advantage would only have widened. And kudos on Sessler calling Thompson on not even playing the game, instead going off of information and conjecture from a year ago.
Shawn Struck: FICTION.
Jack Thompson is a narrow-minded reactionary that understands little to nothing about the culture of video games at best, and a shameless publicity whore at worst. The National Institute on Media and the Family has broken ties with him, and he is a zealot whose mind will not be changed.
Even with that in mind, Sessler came off as a shrill spaz that resorted to lobbing straw man arguments and shouting at the top of his lungs instead of debating effectively. Say what you want about Thompson, at least he remained calm and collected during the segment.
If I want someone arguing my side, I want them to do so effectively. Holding a position I agree with doesn't automatically make everything you do effective in my eyes. Sessler actually managed to make Thompson look SANE. THANKS, PAL.
Oh, and the supreme irony of the segment? NONE of the panelists have played Bully, the game that was discussed, because it hasn't been released yet.
Score: 5 for 6
A final score of 5 for 6. Join us next Friday for more Fact or Fiction!
