Double Agent
The Cupboard Is Bare - October 8, 2001 - Brooke Bolander

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed within this column are those of the participants and the moderator, and do not necessarily reflect those of the GIA. There is coarse language and potentially offensive material afoot. The spots on your head look like stars in the sky. Don't say we didn't warn you.

Well, that topic certainly bombed like Jay Sherman doing a striptease. I got a total of three letters. THREE. Are you all napping? Does this not interest and amuse you? Aren't you HAPPY we're getting more games than ever over here?! WELL?!

Remember, you have no-one to blame for the length of this column but yourselves. And Drew.

One world, united in game release dates - that is my dream.
What do I think of the fact that we're starting to get games before those japanese? I say that it's about time we got to have something on the better end of the deal. They've always gotten stuff first, and they always get cool special editions and stuff like that. So I say that we deserve this because, as Kojima put it in a recent EGM: "...we wanted to reward that dedication by bringing out the game (Metal Gear) out in the US first, since we couldn't work it out in our schedule to do a simultaneous launch."

That's all you get, I just rented Okage. Time to get at it...

-Scott

All games should get a world release, then nobody would be left out in the cold. Can't finish it on time? Don't release it until everyone's got a chance. I mean, just think of those poor saps in Europe.

Of course, that's probably poor marketing or something, but that's why I'm the DA and not a Konami sales rep. H-yuck.

Wash your games every two weeks, at least every two weeks!
Brooke -

America has the second largest population of any country, and the best economy. In the good ole capitalistic US of A we have more kids with money, and more parents with money to support the kids who don't have their own.

Is it any real surprise at all that we are now the focus of the video game industry as a whole? As of late, videogaming has rocketed out of the nerd niche to fully mainstream. Alternative rock did it, techno is doing it. Mullets as a topic for t shirts did it. It does seem that whatever the nerds of our country embrace, the rest decide it's pretty cool and latch on.

So, now that video games are cool, and US teens are all about being cool, they buy video games.

That said, effects on the industry? Well, as niche titles get pushed into higher and higher sales simply from there being more gamers out there to try them, I can see more of those weird, quirky titles, like that dating sim with the planted head, I forget the name... and Silhoute Mirage, which I've been meaning to buy out of worship fo Working Designs....

Also, we'll be seeing more translations, better translations, and more companies willing to take a risk an a title for the chance of it hitting big.

There are downfalls, however. We'll see more rushed games with popular licenses aimed at the casual american gamer, which right now makes up a large amount of the market.

So that Backstreet Boys game might not be too far off...now if Game Arts could just design a game based around Norwegien industrial EBM gods Apoptygma Berzerk, and have WD do the localization.....

Anyway, I accidentaly posed this question to Drew, but with your name on top, as I was quite lost as to what day it was. With the big N topic he had, I had gotten to thinking. Sega is freelancing now. With Sqaure taking a risk (ok, not really, but...) on Kingdom Hearts, what other crossovers (any game/character/series) would you like to see?

Mine's way weird, and I'll ship it on in if you use the topic.

Peace,

Ray Stryker, who knows he just requested another one of those cursed "fun" topics...

I think a lot of nerds have this natural instinct to rebel whenever things become popular. I've wondered why, and can only assume it's because the more popular things get, the less quality control there is, and the more said things suck. But you have to take the good with the bad, otherwise pretention results and you have people screaming about how HARDCORE they are because they played Dragon Humper II on the Atari 0001 back in '79. Can't we all just get along?

It's also wise to note that when things get super-popular there's usually a backlash sooner or later, although I don't think that would work with games as much as with music and television. Saturation hasn't become as much of a problem...yet.

Oh, and sorry, but we can't have 'fun' topics for awhile. I've overused them, so it's NO FUN FOR j00. Nothing but good nourishing discussions about what systems are the most kawaii. Or something.

It's all about the greenbacks, in the end.
Ms. Bolander,

There's a simple reason for why the gaming market is leaning more toward North America. It's simple economics since the growth rate in gaming sales is much greater in this market than in Japan and also remember that Japan has been in a 10-year resecssion. It's hard to tell how this will affect the industry since the tastes of gamers have, can, and will change over time here. Just consider the types of games being released here now. They wouldn't even of been considered five years ago but now there's a market for them.

- Imperial Mog

I'm fairly certain we all have FF7 to thank for the sudden hot yang a large majority of gamers feel towards RPGs, but the just plain weird stuff...I dunno. Maybe we're growing up with the games, or maybe now that the companies and developers are more established in the US, they can risk more.

Either way, I'm thankful. If Ka and that hamster sim ever get released here, then we will truly know that all bridges have been crossed and all bets hedged.

Closing Comments:

You know, there's a big influx of gaming systems coming out next month (well, two at least,) and looking at them I have to wonder - why the hell am I spending 300 dollars on something that will be obsolete in three years?

If the system is going to make you happy for years and years on down the road, I can see why that would be a sound investment - heck, there are a lot of people who still own and play SNES. But then there are the lost systems - the ones that will get shoved into the attic and never touched again. Poor souls.

What I'm trying to ask here is this : What systems do you think you'll still have out playing in seven years, and which will be in the basement with a family of mice chewing up the wires? The GameCube looks nice and all, sure, but are the games good enough to earn it an immortal spot? Will the PS2 have much life when the PS6 is on shelves? What gives a system that..spark that keeps it from being forgotten? Talk to me people, please.

- Brooke Bolander, who regrets selling that Saturn because she 'needed the money.'
Recent Columns  
10.07.01
10.06.01
10.05.01
Double Agent Archives
Which systems will be passed on through the generations and which will be used as doorstops?
FAQ? Ask me again later.