Video Gaming

Epic Handhelds

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I have Dragon Quest IX on my DS.  If you're not familiar with the series, they're epic Japanese RPGs with their own style.  Dragon Quest VIII on the PS2 had an incredible amount of gameplay – I put 80 hours into playing it.  From everything I've seen in DQ IX, and everything I hear, this tiny cartridge is packed with as much content as the PS2 disc.

For people not familiar with gaming, handhelds like the DS may not seem to be the place for epic games that last 40, 50, or more hours.  It's too easy to assume portable gaming is casual gaming.

Of course this isn't true.  Handheld gaming gave us Pokemon, games people could put hundreds of hours into playing.  There are epic RPGs for various handhelds, from Golden Sun to Shin Megami Tensi: Strange Journey.  Hand-held gaming has had epic for quite some time.

However, as I've played Dragon Quest IX, which proves to be more addicting than its' predecessor, I've started to speculate that epics are not only well-suited to handhelds, they may be an ideal place for them in the future.

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Product Idea: Casual Roguelikes

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So, casual games.  Let's all admit it, a lot of us probably play them to one extent or another, even if we don't want to admit it.  They're everywhere, they sell, they get attention.  Between the acceptance, the niche they feel, and the money they make, they're here to stay.

Of course, as I write this, some casual games seem all alike.  There's jewel-matching and other puzzles, some simple sims, and a handful of other genres.  So I'd like to look at a genre that is sometimes associated with hardcore games that would be perfect for incarnation in the casual genre.

Roguelikes.

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The Value of 3D

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I have an ambiguous relationship with the whole 3D movie/game/tv/whatever trend.  On one hand, I love new gadgets and neat technology, and I like a good spectacle.  On the other hand, it seems like it's becoming an annoying fad and everyone is jumping on the visually appealing bandwagon.  Despite the challenges, despite lousy conversions of 2D films to 3D (Clash of the Titans comes to mind), people are barreling ahead with 3D.  Apparently, there will be a 3D release of "The Last Airbender," which fills me full of dread (taking what appears to be a visually stunning film and running 3D after the fact?  Not good.)

Now, I think 3D is going to be inevitable.  It's approached a fad status, people are interested in visual quality, but I'm expecting 3D to be a very bumpy road for moviemakers, game makers, and hardware people.  The problem is that people don't "get" 3D, they don't ask the question anyone should ask about a new technology, gizmo, process, etc.

Does it add value?  If you don't ask that question you're either ignorant or just trying to jump on the bandwagon.

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