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18 Nov 05
I had planned to put up the Logitech G7 cordless gaming mouse review today, but I got sidetracked on the Microsoft XBox 360 launch strategy. So I'm going with that and will put up the review on Monday. Plus this will give me another weekend of gaming to stress test the mouse. If you absolutely have to make a buying decision this weekend on the G7, go ahead. It's a great mouse. Details Monday.
There's been a lot made of Microsoft's world wide launch strategy. Now that initial allocations are known, many people are crying foul. The numbers are just smaller than expected. I started this as a post on Gaming Trend's Forum, but then realized I was working it like a column so I figured I'd finish the job.
Microsoft has cut initial allocations. Some have screamed claiming a marketing cabal to increase hype. I admit I got a bit caught up in that. Fortunately, I was able to get more information. Now telling people with long standing preorders that they can't guarantee fulfillment is generally bad for public relations. So is Microsoft doing this launch all wrong?
From what I've read and what some market analysts have told me, Microsoft appears to be doing things differently, not wrong. Instead of big initial shipments, they plan to have a smaller, sustainable stream of shipments.
This gives them a few things. First from a supply management perspective, they can route more shipments to the areas with the greatest demand. That means less unsold units sitting on shelves somewhere. The can also route core units away from areas where they aren't selling to areas they are since its the more limited SKU. I should point out that I'm basically talking about fiddling with the percentages of each available shipment. If the number of units available gets too small, there's no smart way to manage around that.
Second, the steady stream keeps both the product and the demand highly visible. This lets sales people give customers hope of finding a unit before Christmas. That won't work for stores with unfulfilled preorders, but it might for a Walmart or Sears. This also lets web communities shout alerts to each other (e.g. Alert, they just got 10 360's at the TRU @ Westchase). I remember from the PS2 launch, several successful sites sprung up around the idea of keeping track of where units were available and sending email alerts to people when inventory showed up on the web.
As a side note, I had a friend who wasn't particularly interested in the PS2 at launch. He knew how hard they were to find. So when he saw one at a store, he snatched it up. Of course, he told himself he was going to sell it, but he broke down and opened it and played it. It worked out in the end. It served him well during his one year tour in Korea.
Finally, it gives Microsoft leverage and opportunities. Stores with high attach rates and accessory sales might well get units before others. Then as each shipment sells out, Microsoft can issue another press release and give us the updated sales totals.
Partially it's a good plan, partially it reflects how much better inventory management is now compared to five years ago, and partially, it shows how flexible shippers have become in that time span. I'm sure their competitors will take note of their successes and failures.
The problem with preorders during the summer (or really any time before the final shipment numbers are known) is that whatever numbers the store is working with come from estimates prior to the start of production. Of course that's risky. On the one hand, they prove to Microsoft that they have demand. On the other, Microsoft might not be able to fulfill that demand in the first shipment.
Obviously, they can't do dynamic shipment allocation until the first sales data comes in. They'll probably notify stores of their next shipments the night after launch or the following day. So on say Black Friday Walmart will know when their next shipment will come in. If they can tell their customers, their next shipment should be on shelves next Tuesday (or whenever), that's hope.
But, if you're in the shoes of Gamestop manager, all you know is that until Microsoft gives you the next allocation numbers, you only have one confirmed shipment. Sure, Microsoft might be planning weekly shipments, but until you get that confirmation that units are tagged for your chain and your store, it's only fair to tell customers that you don't have confirmed units coming in. Sure, everyone is disappointed, but you get to blame Microsoft. Then, whenever you get your allocation information, you get to make the "Hey, you're in luck" calls.
I'm sure the Microsoft press release touting the sell out of the initial shipment will also mention their commitment to regular shipments throughout the holiday season. So keep checking in with your favorite store. They'll probably also mention the total number of units they plan to ship this year and by the end of next year.
Keep in mind that Microsoft has commitments to all their retail partners. The initial shipment has to be spread a little extra thin since they don't want to rebuff any partner they need down the road. After that, they only notify partners as shipments come available.
And Microsoft does have those commitments world wide. The slightly staggered launch doesn't significantly help with that. Though I'd guess the greater than expected shortages are more due to manufacturing hiccups than shipment problems. For some reason (or many reasons), it always takes longer than expected to start up a production line and longer than expected to reach production rate goals. That's what looks to have happened. So Microsoft cut the numbers. Hopefully, now they're getting back on track with manufacturing levels.
I'm not saying their plan is perfect or even that it will work well. It's ambitious and could fail. However, if it works, it's bound to be better than what we usually see at console launches. If it doesn't, I don't think anyone is still too bitter about the PS2 launch. Eventually, supplies will catch up. Then all that's left is the gaming.
Of course, I might be biased. The games I'm really interested in have been delayed until well after Christmas. So I'm in no rush.
Oops, I almost forgot the game of the week. I had it picked out after the Live arcade announcement, but I've been running out of time. Anyway, it's Outpost Kaloki (official site) from Wahoo Studios. Basically, it's a space station management game. Similar to Startopia, there's a heavy emphasis on humor. You have to entertain aliens, solve challenges and keep your ratings high. It includes a story mode, stand alone scenarios and sandbox play. Both the demo and the game are available now.
Jason
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17 Nov 05
I've noticed that I don't enjoy strategy games as much when I'm tired. It's probably the mental effort combined with the delayed gratification. If I play an action game, I get adrenaline and in game rewards right away. Strategy games build, ebb and flow, and, as I like to say here, keep telling their own story in their own way. It makes the victory or loss more poignant, but I don't always have the patience, especially when I'm tired.
I've been reading more Xbox 360 reviews. I think Microsoft has to rethink this $60 price tag. I'm pretty convinced it will go away shortly, but until then it's still in play. The problem right now seems to be porting games. Obviously, Microsoft isn't going to add a backwards compatibility patch for a game in current generation release that also has a version released for the Xbox 360. That's an annoying thing about limited backwards compatibility in and of itself, but that's not the main point.
The point is if a publisher releases basically the same game on the Xbox and the 360 without significant upgrades, Microsoft should be pressuring them to release at the same price point. The last thing Microsoft needs is to be cannibalizing their own sales because of a price delta that doesn't mean anything added for the gamer.
Admittedly, the 360 launch is a bit short on titles that were developed exclusively for the 360. I have less trouble with publishers charging more for those. There are increased development costs with higher resolution models and textures. However, some of these ports are adding much beyond HD resolution and improved frame rates. If Microsoft really expects those new prices to fly, they need to crack down on that. Of course, perhaps Microsoft doesn't believe in the stability of the $60 price point any more than I do. They could just be ignoring the problem as it sorts itself out. The only problem with that could be if Sony takes a hard line on price points. Then again, Microsoft and Sony have gotten quite adept at responding to each other's moves.
CNN has two reviews up of the Xbox 360. One is from Chris Morris in his Game Over column. The other is from Fortune magazine. It's interesting that both are slightly negative, but are sure that the Xbox 360 is already a hit. For those too lazy to read the links, the negative comes from the launch line up. Both point out the hardware and features are top notch.
Finally, I received an email notifying me of the proposed settlement of a class action suit regarding the Playstation 2. The site seem legitimate (I'm sure someone will tell me if it's not). It doesn't appear I'm in the affected class, but if you've had disk read problems with your PS2, you might want to check it out more thoroughly.
Jason
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16 Nov 05
It's time to jump off the beaten path again. Today, I have a review for you of Shadow of the Colossus (SC) for the Playstation 2. Sure, it's not really a strategy game or a tactical game. You could argue it's a puzzle game or an action game. About the only thing reviewers will agree on is that this is one of those games you put forward whenever someone claims that games aren't art.
SC is fundamentally a simple game. You're tasked with destroying 16 Colossi. Essentially, you journey from the central temple, find the Colossus and kill it. If either the journey or the colossi were like a typical game, this would be a short, boring experience. Fortunately, that's not the case here.
The fundamental question is can you appreciate a game with lush landscapes and epic, titanic battles, but very little else? There's a minimalist story that's largely hinted at until the ending cut scene. There are no minor enemies. There's no inventory to manage. There are no side quests. There are no merchants. There's the landscape, the colossi and you.
You are a warrior; you have an ancient, magical sword, a horse, a bow and arrows and a quest. Your quest is to bring a girl back to life regardless of the cost. The power of the temple demands a price. The price is slaying of the sixteen.
Your sword will guide you to the colossi one by one. You hold it up in the sunlight, and the light will gather in the direction of your next foe. The beam will always point straight at the beast, but your path will not always be so simple. You must navigate the terrain and often overcome some platforming obstacles.
Once you reach your destination, a short cut scene will play showing the colossus awakening. Then you have to figure out how to defeat it. All but one (perhaps two, depending on your point of view) of the colossi will attack you right away. Some reviews seem to give the impression that you're scaling sleeping, peaceful mountains that only awaken and fight you after you've started to kill them. These are violent giants that will attack you and your horse just because you're near. There is some wonder in those things. There is a sense of moral ambiguity about taking them down. It's interesting that that is an emotion reserved to the player of the game not the character experiencing it.
There's another misimpression I want to clear up. The colossi are magical creations. They're not alive in the sense the wildlife you encounter is alive. They're like golems or Frankenstein's monster. They're a combination of statues, carcasses and weapons magically infused with an evil life force. That dark, shadowy energy is released whenever you successfully attack a vulnerable spot. It spurts forth like a combination of ichor and shadow. Each colossus has limited (and usually violent) responses to the world around it. They don't adapt or change their tactics regardless of how successful you've been at hurting them.
So how do you hurt them? If you shine your sword at them, the beam will point out their vulnerable spot. Then you must either find a way to reach that spot or stun the creature into revealing that spot. Some of the colossi have armor that must be defeated before you can attack the spot. Some of the colossi have multiple spots. Some colossi are pure puzzles where you must perform certain action in a certain order to defeat them.
Once you defeat a colossus, you are transported back to temple. The dark energy you released from the creature grounded itself through your body nearly killing you. Yet, each time, the warrior gets up and stoically stares at the heart of the temple where the voices tell him of his next foe. Usually, the voice gives you a description of where to go and often a cryptic hint about the colossus. In a similar manner, I named each of the colossi just for fun. There are no puzzle spoilers in the names, but I won't feel bad if you want to skip right to the next paragraph. I named them Troll, Bevo, Minotaur, Trigger, Nevermore, Stomper, Murky, Gex, Crabby, Sandy, Taurus, Brahma, Hindy, Rover, Brutus, and Zeus.
I played in 480p wide screen mode. The game is gorgeous. The scenery is beautiful. Even getting lost is fun as you take in the sights. The game nails the sense of scale. Some of the colossi are breathtakingly huge. The earth shattering attacks shake the screen and your controller. The creator of the particle effect system for the game is prominently mentioned in the credits. There's good reason for that. The clouds of dust and debris kicked up add to the immersion of the struggle. It's quite a feeling of relief and elation each time you win a battle.
I've mentioned most of the problems in the game. You can get lost. There's a minimal story. As with any puzzle, if you can't find the solution, it can be frustrating. A few of the colossi have stunning attacks that mean you can get stuck in a cycle that they keep attacking before you can get up and out of the way. That feels cheap. The controls are functional, but not intuitive. The sound will be too quiet for some people. Basically, there's little music outside of battles and cut scenes.
Then there's the camera. There's still no perfect game camera. This one goes crazy at times. Sometimes it does it at the worst possible times. You can usually reset it without harm, but the game uses camera relative controls, so sometimes a key jump is ruined by a crazy camera. It didn't happen often, but it was always frustrating.
The last thing I want to cover is Agro, your horse. There have been many sidekicks in games. There have been animal companions. Agro is the most alive creature I've seen in a game. Toward the end, you feel like you've been through a war together. The colossi battles where you work together to take them down are the best in the game. If there are awards for special achievement in video games, the creators of Agro deserve one.
It's hard to sum up Shadow of the Colossus. As I mentioned in my initial impressions, it's something every gamer should experience even if it's second hand. Not all gamers will enjoy it however. It's a very focused experience. If you don't like what it offers, it will do nothing to change your mind. If you do like it, it's one of the great experiences in gaming (thus far).
91/100 Very highly recommended. Screenshots for the curious.
Jason
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15 Nov 05
I have a couple of quick notes for you today. Gamers With Jobs has an excellent interview on Rise of Legends. I guess I've been remiss in covering the game since I learned that they've cut the number of races from four to three. It's hard to get too upset over it since they never announced who or what the now lost race was.
I put a couple of interesting news items up in the news section today. The first one is about how Nvidia has worked with Sandia Labs to create a massive simulator. I suppose since we, as gamers, helped create the 3D accelerator graphics card market, we can take some pride in that. Also it's just kind of neat.
The second is Microsoft's launch announcement for the Live Marketplace. I suppose I should quit harping on the Xbox 360 since no one has even bothered to vote in the poll. However, until I get actual reader feedback suggesting I move on, I'll continue my console crusade. After all they are a driving force in the gaming market today.
Live Marketplace dynamically displays that. If you looked at that announcement, you'll notice that beyond all the gamer pictures and themes (I'm still skeptical about those), the demos, live arcade and trailers look pretty cool. Live Arcade certainly has some titles I didn't expect; Wik and Mutant Storm stand out. Streaming HD movie trailers to your HD set over Live is so simple, I'm amazed anyone thought of it.
I understand the points thing makes it easier to spend money (and for parents to put limits on kids spending). That doesn't mean I have to like it. Overall, I like the boldness of Microsoft's vision here. Let's hope the competitors are watching.
Speaking of competitors, Steam has just announced that it will publish Darwinia. I've gone on about Darwinia in the past. It's a real shame a large publisher didn't pick them up, but hopefully, this will mean more money directly in the developers pockets. Check it out on Steam next month. Twenty bucks ain't bad.
Jason
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14 Nov 05
I noticed Microsoft announced the Xbox 360 launch line up today:
Amped 3 (2K Sports)
Call of Duty 2 (Activision Inc.)
Condemned: Criminal Origins (SEGA Corp.)
FIFA Soccer 06 Road to 2006 FIFA World Cup (Electronic Arts Inc.)
GUN (Activision)
Kameo: Elements of Power (Microsoft Game Studios and Rare Ltd.)
Madden NFL 06 (Electronic Arts)
NBA 2K6 (2K Sports)
NBA LIVE 06 (Electronic Arts)
Need for Speed Most Wanted (Electronic Arts)
NHL 2K6 (2K Sports)
Perfect Dark Zero (Microsoft Game Studios and Rare Ltd.)
Peter Jackson's King Kong: The Official Game of the Movie (Ubisoft)
Project Gotham Racing 3 (Microsoft Game Studios and Bizarre Creations Ltd.)
Quake 4 (id Software and Activision)
Ridge Racer 6 (Namco Ltd.)
Tiger Woods PGA TOUR 06 (Electronic Arts)
Tony Hawk's American Wasteland (Activision)
Nothing shocking. It's a little sports and racing heavy, but there's plenty of eye candy to go around. Condemned and Perfect Dark Zero are the only ones that intrigue me, but that could change based on reviews. It will be interesting to see how some of the holiday releases such as Tony Hawk, Gun and King Kong differ from their current gen brethren. Will they justify that extra $10?
Speaking of sticking with current gen, Microsoft has finally released the backwards compatibility list. I have to say I'm impressed with the volume of games. I'm also intrigued on how some of those titles made the list. I didn't see to many of my niche games on the list. My wife will be pleasantly surprised that Yourself Fitness made the cut.
Their logic seems quite solid on the list. Popular online games are all there. Games with a lot of replay value are there. I'm sure some of them were there because they were easy to emulate. It's a little odd that there is only one 2K sports game on there. I wonder if that's a reflection of the change in ownership or a nod to EA's strong support.
All in all, it looks like everything is go for 360 launch. I expect Microsoft will be pleased with the results (though I don't, as some, see it as an early step in the demise of Sony). It's hard to believe we're almost ready for another generation of consoles. It should be a fun ride.
Jason
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© Talk Strategy 2005