Digital Distribution : At the end of the longest line. Wii Shop, DSi Shop

Nintendo uses different Shops for the Wii and DSi systems. They are respectively called Wii Shop and DSi shop. They are replaced with eShop for the 3DS and Wii U and I'll try to cover them as soon as possible. This will only focus on Wii and DSi. 

It offers plenty of content for both consoles. Distributed in a standard format, download the full game and play. If you own a Nintendo console, you know you don't have user profiles. It's a family console made for everyone to pick up and enjoy.

The Pros :

For the whole family :
You don't have to bother who bought what, once the content has been downloaded and installed, it becomes available to all. Since there are no profiles, it's kind of normal.

Market exclusives :
Nintendo took care of making sure that the content available on their shops is not the same content as in retail stores. It's either retro games from Nintendo and non Nintendo consoles, called the Virtual Console, or games developed specifically for the console called WiiWare/DSiWare.

The Cons :

Content is console-bound :
It is clear in Nintendo's End User License Agreement (EULA) that purchased content can only be used on the same console the transaction was made on. Too bad if you have multiple consoles, you cannot claim your games on both of them.

Money (or points), is also console-bound: if you bought or received a nice point cards and are planning on dividing it between two Wiis or even your Wii and DSi... you are also out of luck. Claiming your points can only be done on one market. So if you'd like to sell your digital content, you can't just sell your account, you'll have to sell your console and buy a new one.

Great risks in losing content :
Nintendo offered a tool to transfer your games from a DSi to a 3DS. I believe we will probably see a similar service for the Wii U. But let's say you lost your console or theft... you will have to buy it all over again. In fact, if you broke your console, Nintendo might be able to transfer content if you send both the old and new console, but there's no guarantee they'll be able to do it.  And if you just upgraded, let's say from a DSi to DSiXL, they won't help you out on that. The new eShop however (on the 3DS) will let you re-download content bound to your Nintendo user. But we will cover this later.

Conclusion :

While the current shop has some issues regarding multiple consoles and users altogether, Nintendo is patching this with their new eShop for the 3DS and Wii U. That will be covered in a few days.

Opinion Piece: Why You Should Support Mobile Gaming

I will preface this by saying the following post is entirely my opinion, and should be taken as such. There is no certainty that what I am going to say will happen, it is only my opinion.

There is some kind of a debate going on right now in the gaming industry, about Mobile Gaming vs Console Gaming, where if Mobile gaming continues to grow, it may kill the console industry as we know it. This may come as a shock to you, but please... make that happen. Let me explain myself.

We (diehard console gamers) complain day in and day out that the industry today is ran by people who have no clue what gaming is, that they are only in it for the money. Well, you know why it is that way ? Because our little industry that could is now the biggest entertainment industry in the world. Console gaming, today, is THE biggest moneymaker in the entire entertainment world. That, my friends, will attract the wrong kind of people. The exact same kind of people John Smedley, CEO of Sony Online Entertainment, recently talked about. 

These guys, the typical businessmen with loads of cash and no interest in our beloved gaming industry, only want one thing: more money. They will flock to whatever is currently the #1 moneymaker. All of the current gaming landscape is the way it is because these guys are running the show. Let them move on to the new shiny: Mobile gaming.

Yes, there would be some collateral damage and an adaptation period if we were to lose out on all of that money. Big AAA games by 3rd parties like Bioshock, Elder Scrolls, Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Mass Effect, would most likely be affected by such a change in funding. Then again, Kickstarter is starting to prove there are ways to get money beyond the typical publisher-developer scenario. But you know what ? I'm speaking for myself right now, but I'd be all for it. No more "You need this much GameScore on MetaCritic or no bonus for you because shareholders will drop us otherwise", no more insane crunch time because the publisher will not pay you if you don't deliver on time (more "When it's Done", less "Sorry, we'll have a patch soon"), no more Skyrim on PS3 (You know what I mean), no more DLC being cut out from the game while in production just to make more money later, no more of all that stuff that is currently poisoning our industry.

So I say, let Mobile gaming take over. Let the attention move on to mobile, and hopefully we will go back to doing our own thing, and have games made with passion once again.

VG OST Of The Week: Mass Effect - Endings Song

This week for VG OST, I chose Mass Effect's Credits Song by Jack Wall and Sam Hulick.

It's very different from the usual Mass Effect soundtrack, it's not the type of music I usually listen to, but for some reason I really like this song.

New Super Mario Bros. 2 Getting DLC, The Beginning Of The End ?

Nintendo has just announced 3 new DLC packs coming for New Super Mario Bros. 2 for Nintendo 3DS.

The first one, Ippatsu Shoubu de Dokidoki, is apparently aimed at expert gamers. The second one, Go! Go! Gold Mario, will ask players to collect 30,000 coins in 3 courses. The last one, Kiroku ni Challenge! A, again asks players to collect coins but will reportedly upload the player's score on the Internet for everyone to see. They will be released in Japan for 200 yen each, or 2.50$.

But more importantly... wait, what ? DLC FOR MARIO ? Oh boy. Some people are commenting on forums and comments that this is the beginning of the end for Nintendo, and the whole gaming industry since we're at it. I am personally not a fan of DLC, I actually hate what it has become, but let's keep one thing in mind guys, Nintendo always delivers. I do not for one second believe Nintendo would purposefully cut content out of a game to sell it to us later. If there is one company out there that doesn't make games with the sole intent of screwing gamers out of their hard-earned dollars, it's Nintendo. Of course they need to make money to be successful, but Nintendo has always put passion into their games, and it shows. How long has Nintendo taken to put their games online, or even offer any service on the Internet, when everyone else was making bank ?

I truly believe Nintendo actually will take DLC as what we always asked for. A way for us to keep getting content for a game we already bought, at a very low price (let's be serious here, 2.50$ isn't much). How awesome would it have been to get something like Secret of Mana: The Lost Chapters, or Chrono Trigger: The Story of Marle (or replace with your favorite Chrono Trigger character) ? These are DLCs we would have loved. Let's keep faith in Nintendo for now.

But if they become the next EA or Microsoft, you can be sure I'll be the first to raise hell.

Nexon And NCSoft Looking Into Buying Valve

Kotaku reports that according to a report from Korean news outlet Joongang News, Asian gaming giants Nexon and NCsoft are pooling resources in an attempt to purchase Valve.

We know this is not going to happen, as Gabe Newell even said recently that he'd prefer the company to "die" before they'd sell out.

But that doesn't seem to keep companies from trying. EA tried recently, with a 1B offer. Denied. Now, Nexon and NCSoft are pooling resources. Yeah, good luck there, bros.

UPDATE: Kotaku has an update from Valve and Nexon, both saying there is no truth to this rumor.

Wii U Games List: Launch vs Launch Window

Thanks to engadget for the list. For the most curious of you we've divided the games in three easy lists.  Games launched with the console on November 18th in USA/Canada. The November games that should release within 2 weeks of the Wii U launch, and the Launch window games that will be launched in Winter/Spring. A total of 52 games announced so far.

Launch Titles Nov. 18th (23 titles)

• Call of Duty: Black Ops II
• Skylanders Giants 
• TRANSFORMERS PRIME 
• Wipeout 3 
• Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two
• EA SPORTS FIFA Soccer 13 
• TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2 Wii U Edition 
• New Super Mario Bros. U 
• NINJA GAIDEN 3: Razor's Edge 
• Nintendo Land 
• SiNG PARTY 
• Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed 
• WARRIORS OROCHI 3 Hyper
• Darksiders II 
• Assassin's Creed III 
• ESPN Sports Connection
• Just Dance 4
• Rabbids Land
• Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
• ZombiU
• Scribblenauts Unlimited 
• Game Party Champions
• Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition 

November Release (9 titles)

• Chasing Aurora
• Cloudberry Kingdom
• Madden NFL 13 
• Trine 2: Director's Cut
• Mighty Switch Force HD
• TANK! TANK! TANK!
• Nano Assault Neo
• Little Inferno
• Toki Tori 2

Launch Window titles (Winter/Spring) (20 titles)

• JEOPARDY! 
• Funky Barn 
• NBA 2K13 
• 007 Legends
• Cabela's Dangerous Hunts 2013 
• Rapala Pro Bass Fishing
• Rise of the Guardians: The Video Game
• Ben 10 Omniverse
• Family Party: 30 Great Games: Obstacle Arcade 
• Mass Effect 3
• Runner2: Future Legend of Rhythm Alien 
• Game & Wario
• LEGO City: Undercover
• Pikmin 3
• Wii Fit U 
• The Wonderful 101 
• Aliens: Colonial Marines
• Wheel of Fortune 
• Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth 
• Rayman Legends

Digital Distribution : And all that could have been. Onlive.

Starting today with the first article on my series on Digital Distribution, Onlive. Onlive is a streaming service. The way it works is that it streams the input from your device to their server and stream back the video to you. It is accessible from almost any devices : Low end PC/MAC, their console (and soon the Ouya), and mobile phones (iOS and Android). 

So far, it's one unique way of digitally distributing games. Just before the pros and cons, here is a diagram of how it works. Really simplified, but it'll help you understand a bit better how it is done.

Onlive technology, now also on iOS and Android

Pros:

Your games follow you : 
While its streaming technology makes the best part, your games follow you everywhere. No need to redownload it to a new device, you can play your games straight from your friend's PC, or even his phone.

Free trials : Try before you buy has never been so easy. Game trials are available for almost every games offered. It gives you 30 minutes of gameplay from the full game. You can replay the trial as much as you want, but each time you start from the beginning as it won't save your progress.

Game rentals : 
You are the kind of player who plays a game for a few days before moving on? There are two options for you. Rental of games cost less but you can play all you want for 3 to 5 days.

Netflix for games : 
Onlive offers a service called PlayPack. For 10$/month, you get unlimited access to around 150 games. From indies such as Doc Clock, old classics like Fallout 1 and 2, to blockbusters hit like Homefront Multiplayer and Just Cause 2. The only titles not there are new games who will eventually be added.

Price and promotions :
I got Deus Ex : HR for free (my brother gave me the code he got from buying the retail game), got Warhammer 40k : Space Marine for 1$, got Saint's Row: The 3rd for 20$ and usually new games are below the 40$ mark.  They used to give 5$ Fridays where great titles were 5$ (Red Faction Guerrilla and Armageddon, Dawn of War 2 and many more). Unfortunately, this golden time seems to be over today.

Cons :

Always on Internet : 
It's not some kind of security DRM, it's just the way they distribute the games.  No Internet? How could you stream the controls and the video?

Streaming is a lot of data : 
About 100MB/10 minutes, even for small indie games that usually are less than 100MB. This is the data rate monitored on a laptop but it does vary. It takes less on mobile due to the smaller screen, and more on the console since it streams on HD TVs. In many countries, this is not an issue as there is no bandwidth cap on home High Speed Internet, but in other regions, there is. And if you play a lot on your phone data plan, that could become expensive.

Games are account based : 
Sorry if you have a family, either everyone plays on the same account, sharing the achievements and other social features, or everyone buy their own games. Could get really expensive to have 4 PlayPack accounts.

Is it dying : 
Onlive might be a good example of the ugliness of digital distribution. For many, the recent bankrupt is the sign Onlive will die, even if a new owner is determined on keeping the service alive. If the distributor dies, so are your game database and every games you don't have installed. In the case of Onlive it could be worst since no games are installed at all.

Conclusion :

Onlive's business model of distribution was aimed at making its games accessible everywhere for a single user on many devices.  This, in theory is a great opportunity for gamers to always have their games with them, but in fact its weakness is that you are Internet-dependent.  The fact that every user needs to buy their own game is also a great drawback  compared to physical media.  The cheap prices, game rental, monthly service or free game trial having all that in an Instant Access is its strong point.

Cloud-Based Gaming Coming Soon To A... TV Near You ?

According to Bloomberg, Cable companies will soon start streaming games. How soon ? 2013-2014.

Apparently, they are interested in getting some of the big money the gaming industry has been creating for the last few years. The article says "Sony Corp. (6758), Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Nintendo Co. have helped to build a market worth $24.1 billion in the U.S. in 2011, according to NPD Group Inc."

“Everybody has a TV,” said Atul Bagga, a video-games analyst at Lazard Capital Markets in San Francisco. Cable and phone companies are “looking for new ways to monetize their users and gaming can be pretty compelling,” he said.

It will be interesting to follow for sure, with companies like AT&T, Verizon, Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Cox all interested in selling games through their cable service.

If this is all true, we could be looking at a very different future in gaming.

Source: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-09-25/xbox-challenged-as-cable-plots-to-make-consoles-obsolete.html

Wii U to be region locked

Famitsu reported that the Wii U is region locked. This must not come as a surprise as most consoles are having the same "feature". Only Sony's PS3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360 had put the region lock into the publishers hands. This means that in most cases, you can buy a game from anywhere in the world and play it on your console, unless the publisher has decided not to let you do that with their game(s).

Those  European and Asian gamers who wish to get their console early by importing the US model will have to also import games from the US.  It also means that if you are an avid Japanese games player, and want that Japanese exclusive game, you'll also have to buy the Japanese console as well.

Region Lock has nothing to do with hardware or format as every console with region locks has been bypassed by hackers. Not that I support piracy, I always believe that the best way to fight it is by offering a better service than what hackers can manage to "Unlock".

So, what are your feelings about region lock? Is it a good way of protecting regional licensing and market, or just another way of restraining the players to have the most out of their console?

New Releases On PSN Today ! (GTA 3 and Mirror's Edge Confirmed)

Today's update brings quite a few good games to the ever-growing library of PSN. Among them, Grand Theft Auto 3 and Mirror's Edge. GTA3 doesn't need any presentation, but if you haven't played Mirror's Edge, I HIGHLY recommend it. Here's the official trailer by EA:

The complete list of games being released today:

- Grand Theft Auto 3
- Mirror's Edge
- Tokyo Jungle
- Realms of Ancient War
- Marvel vs Capcom: Origins
- Starhawk
- One Piece: Pirate Warriors
- Hell Yeah ! Wrath of the Dead Rabbit
- Final Fantasy III (PSP)
- Table Ice Hockey (Vita)
- Turnabout (PSOne)

And these Collections, part of Playstation Collections:

- God Of War Saga
- inFAMOUS Collection
- Ratchet & Clank Collection

Happy Gaming !