The end of gaming as we know it

Having a 3 1/2 year old is an eye-opening experience in a lot of ways. As a gamer, it's become fascinating. Now that my little guy is a full-fledged person, I see the world very differently through his eyes. One thing those eyes tell me is that console gaming as it's known today is at its end.

My son and I have gradually spent more time playing video games, and I love it. Naturally, one of the reasons I had him was because I needed a reliable partner to game with (ahem). Had he been born 5 years earlier, say, in 2002, he would have probably taken a PS2 controller in hand and tried mightily to control the race cars and trains that he loves so much. However, since he's come "of age" in the era we're currently in, he simply asks for my iPad or iPhone, presses a button, and within 30 seconds is knee-deep in whatever game he fancies at that minute. There's no controller, there's very little wait, and the delivery mechanism is the same - just a little bigger or smaller, depending on the specific device.

Which got me to thinking - if this is what he knows, why would he ever change?

It's probably obvious to most people; the whole notion of having a machine plugged into a television set, swapping out discs and holding a controller is really an antiquated notion. It won't exist in 10 years; perhaps even 5.

Case in point: My son LOVES cars and racing games. I had the new Need For Speed Hot Pursuit cranking on my 42-inch HDTV while he sat next to me playing Reckless Racing on the iPad. Hot Pursuit is a visceral, visual experience that looks amazing; Reckless Racing looks great but is a top-down, simple game. No matter how cool the wreck I created on TV, I got nothing more than on occasional glance up from Leo, followed immediately by his attention being focused right back to the game in his hands.

His whole entertainment and gaming universe is fundamentally different than it was for kids even 10 years ago. Everything is instant, on demand, mobile (and I don't mean mobile in the traditional sense; just mobile in that it's everywhere), and available at the push of a button. Each of his favorite shows is instantly watchable on phones and computers; all of his favorite games are too.

That's why it's obvious to me that the next generation of consoles - the successors to the PS3, 360, and Wii - will be the last of their kind. The notion of being tethered to a stationary object like a large TV will seem to kids in 2020 the way adults now view typewriters; a relic from a distant past that we faintly remember.

It's not that all gaming will be mobile, though. Far from it. Gaming will be persistent, permeating our lives more than ever. The games will be immersive feasts for the eyes and ears that will be different than we can comprehend.

What will change is the notion of the console itself. I've got a feeling that the iPads and iPhones of today will look and feel in many ways the same, with the main difference being projection abilities. Instead of plugging into a TV, the gamer of 2020 will play a single game on a single "console" in 4 or 5 different ways - on their phone or projected in 3D Hi Def onto the wall and every step in between. Controllers won't exist, as motion-sensing and touch becomes so integrated that we won't recognize the difference between the two.

We can already see how much closer these machines deliver the sound and visuals of consoles. In a decade what's cutting-edge now on consoles will be passe on mobile devices.

Frankly, I can't wait. Leo doesn't realize it yet, but he can't either.

Taking on the Pile of Shame, Ratchet and Clank style

It took far too long, but in the past year or so I finally ended my irrational video game purchasing behavior. No longer do I wander in to my local GameStop on Wednesdays, in search of the latest hot release or AAA title. Nope – one of the "best" things about my current lifestyle (busy job, busy at home with the little man and wife) is that it lends itself to very few hours of game time a week, thereby killing this irrational pattern once and for all.

Instead of fret about it, though, I’ve realized that it’s letting me discover a treasure trove of great games I’ve had sitting in my collection for a long time - a.k.a. my Pile of Shame. Now, months have gone by, and I haven't been remotely tempted to go grab a new game (if it’s for fun, of course – reviews are obviously a different animal altogether).

So, I decided to dig into the PS3 edition of The Pile when I recently gave up playing MLB 09: The Show (too painfully tough to keep playing), and pulled out Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction. I forget exactly when it came out, but it was close to 2 years ago near the launch of the PS3 console. I had started playing it and probably put in 4 hours or so before I got distracted with another game or two (a constant symptom of my now-conquered purchasing disease). All I remembered was that it looked pretty awesome, but my lack of experience with the franchise and elements of platforming didn’t help me seize onto it like I had been expecting.

It’s funny how time can change your perspective. I’ve easily spent 10 or more hours the past two weeks re-booting the game and I couldn’t love it much more if I tried. Yes, it’s an amazing graphical feat (not quite a “living Pixar movie”, but not terribly far off either), but there’s much more to it that sets it apart from typical shooters/actioners/platformers.

In a nutshell, here’s why I love ToD:

1) It’s pretty easy, with just enough challenge sprinkled in to keep it interesting. To be frank, I’m at a point in my life where I just don’t have the time and desire to get my ass kicked by a game 20 times in order to finally beat a level (or hit a baseball consistently). So a game that’s moderately friendly to get through without a ton of rote memorization or top-notch twitch skills is very, very welcome.
2) The weapons are simply amazing. One of developer Insomniac’s hallmarks is great weaponry, and ToD doesn’t disappoint. It’s not just the array of power in your arsenal, either – the upgrade paths to turn your guns and devices from popcaps to all-powerful is an addictive experience on its own. Choosing which gun to improve, then seeing its effects in action, is extremely satisfying.
3) The sense of humor. Ratchet and Clank is a silly game, to be sure, but there’s plenty of subtlety in the dialogue, weapons, and level design that makes me chuckle on a regular basis.
4) There’s a ton of variety. While the main focus is on blowing up enemies, collecting bolts (the game’s currency), and bounding across platforms, there are also scads of other experiences tossed into the mix, including Galaga-style spaceship shooting, Tony Hawk-ish rail grinding, and puzzle solving. In other words, it’s a genre-busting “gamer’s game”.
5) It’s huge. I’ve got over 15 hours put into the game clock and I am still going, well into my third galaxy. I don’t know if I’m near the end or not, but there’s no doubt you get your money’s worth of levels and gameplay. Insomniac chose to devote their resources to making a single-player campaign of the highest magnitude and forsaking multiplayer. I for one applaud that decision – it worked.
6) Oh yeah, it’s a gorgeous, gorgeous game. Some of the levels are simply stunning, even to a jaded old gamer like myself. My favorite (among many favorites) is a recently-completed scenario featuring Ratchet and Clank flying their ship through a stunningly beautiful array of planets, comets, and other heavenly bodies that was too good to be believed. Too bad I was fighting off hordes of enemies, otherwise I could have enjoyed the view even more.

Yes, I suppose I am gushing a bit. ToD isn’t perfect – aiming some of the guns is a bit of a pain in the neck, for example, but that’s nitpicking – but it’s easily the most fun I’ve had on my PS3. Even more telling is that once I’m done, I’m heading right to the Playstation store to pick up its episodic sequel, as well as finally putting another Insomniac-built PS3 title I never finished (Resistance: Fall of Man) back in the console.

I’m enjoying my newfound independence from buying new games just because they’re out. Lord knows I’ve got plenty of other titles in my Pile of Shame I’ll be digging through before I pick up anything brand new again.

How an accidental $5 purchase turned my toddler into a gaming fan

Anyone who’s a Dad of a toddler knows that free time is a fleeting concept. Weekends are no longer based around late-night Halo marathons, playoff hockey doubleheaders, or catching up on episodes of 24. Nope, these days Saturdays and Sundays are all about Daddy-and-Son time, a wonderfully random series of exhausting events involving lots of running, meal preparation, post-meal cleaning, running, trips to the playground, mowing the lawn (at naptime only), running, comforting, desperately searching for juice, fixing broken toys, and running.

My son is a couple of months shy of 2, and is already quite a talker with loads of personality. He knows what he likes – namely cars, trains, tools, cameras, and telephones, to name a few – and he also knows what his Daddy likes – football, baseball, hockey, music, and video games.

Of course, being just shy of 2 also means that his attention span is pretty darned short. His playtime is generally spent rushing from one short activity to another, unless he’s watching one of his favorite TV shows on Noggin. In that case, every once in awhile he might actually sit and watch for all of 10 minutes.

I give him credit, though, because he thinks I'm awesome (and the feeling is mutual) and loves doing whatever I am doing. And (occasionally) that means playing video games.

Lately, whenever I get home from work, he runs up to me and says “Daddy! Games! Games! Games!” because, hey, this is my kid after all. He knows I like to play 'em and he is really starting to enjoy watching me. Naturally, this is not a habit I am looking to discourage in any way.

So we head upstairs (as my wife, a full-time stay-at-home Mom who’s on her own with the boy from 7 AM to 7 PM most days, collapses in a heap) and I crank up the Xbox 360. A few weeks ago, I’d pop in MLB 2K9 or NBA Live 09 and play a few minutes with the little guy watching and reacting. While I do know that one day we'll be sitting around playing some violent shooter or the latest incarnation of Grand Theft Auto, I plan on having his first decade or so of life's exposure to video games being completely pleasant.

Inevitably, though, he’d lose interest and I’d have to abandon an early-inning baseball game or mid-period hoops match to go running after him as he darted out of the room.

I needed to find something a little better for us to enjoy together.

That’s when I remembered a nonchalant, $5 purchase I’d made many months ago on the recommendation of the Player One Podcast, an Xbox Live Arcade compilation disc. It’s got a series of Arcade games on it, including Boom Boom Rocket, Luxor 2, Pac Man Championship, and a few other smallish titles that in years past I never would have played for more than a minute or two.

A few days ago, after our latest trek up the stairs to my office, I looked at the little man and said “Boom Boom Rocket”. He looked a little perplexed, then said “games!”. I popped the disc in, and said “Boom Boom Rocket” again, and started it up. I remember this game getting absolutely vilified in the press, but otherwise had no idea what I was in store for. Turns out it’s a fireworks game, full of explosions, colors, and cool effects all set to music with a Guitar Hero-rhythm game mechanic.

Exploding, colorful fireworks? You can say it’s been the hit of the household ever since that moment. Now he's shouting all of the colors that he's seeing, saying "Boom" whenever a big firework explodes, and generally loving every second while he clutches my arm. Meanwhile, I'm having fun exposing him to one of the things I love in life, and even getting a few Achievements along the way. To say it's a great time for the both of us would be an understatement.

Now, when I get home after work, Leo runs up to me and says “Daddy! Boom Boom Rocket! Boom Boom Rocket!”. And it’s just about the best thing ever.

The Curious Case of the Missing Godfather

As those of you who read this humble blog know, my real job, second job, and family (including a wonderfully energetic toddler) occupy about 143% of my available hours in a normal week. However, a couple of weekends ago, I found myself with that most amazing of things - a few spare hours.

So, when the perfect storm happens - in this case, my wife and son were both asleep and I wasn't on deadline for a review or a proposal - it's very exciting.

For the past couple of months, I'd been playing The Godfather on the Xbox 360. Yes, it's old, and yes, it's a GTA clone with a bunch of repetitive tasks. Say what you want, but I was kind of enjoying it. I'd progressed enough through the story to the point where my guy was pretty badass, and I'd completely taken over the entire neighborhood of Little Italy. So I was on my way to becoming the Don of NYC.

Eager to continue my atrocity-fueled success, I was ready to pop the game back in my 360 and settle in for a couple of hours of mayhem. So I looked around for the game. And looked around some more. Then I went into other rooms, since it was not in my office. Then I went downstairs. Twice.

And a funny thing happened. The game was gone.

Keep in mind, I am bordering on obsessive-compulsive when it comes to keeping track of my games. After all, there are only a few categories of stuff I even own - clothes, video games, video game machines, CDs, iPods, and cellphones make up 97% of all of my worldly posessions. So the fact that every single game I own was in its right place, but the one freaking game I wanted to play was missing was just ridiculous for a bunch of reasons.

So I searched, and I searched. I yelled at my wife, and she yelled back at me. One thing is sure, though: I did not move the game anywhere, because there is no other place in the world where I would be able to play it other than my office.

So, long story short, there is only one suspect in this "crime", and that is the 19-month old boy who inhabits this house along with his parents. I don't know how, but I have to think that he wandered into the office, grabbed the game (like he grabs lots of things) and brought it to some magical place where he stashes all sorts of stuff, and it sits there to this day.

No matter what, though, I can't find it.

After a hopeless 90 minutes of searching, I gave up and decided to start something else. Sifting through my huge pile of unplayed games, I settled on a game I should've played years ago and haven't - Half Life 2 on the Orange Box for 360.

Somehow, I think I'll never see The Godfather again.

Back in the saddle...after falling off

One of these days, I really will learn. Until then, however, I suppose that I am doomed to suffer from history repeating itself - and that history is the Philadelphia Eagles destroying my spirit every single year.

The Eagles lost in the NFC Championship this past week to an inferior Arizona Cardinals team. It literally pains me to talk about it, and that in and of itself is a symptom of a greater problem. Why does it hurt me so badly when a stinkin' football team loses one step away from the Super Bowl? If they don't care that much, then why the heck do I? Why do I now have to avoid newspapers, sports talk radio, and my beloved ESPN podcasts?

Because I am insufferable. The older I have gotten, the better I've taken the in-season defeats. Back when I was a kid (and young adult), the regular season gaffes and debacles would ruin weeks and cause the destruction of many small items around the house. These days, though, I deal with the regular parade of losses very well - especially since I don't want to get yelled at by my wife for acting like an idiot (since she's right).

But this particular defeat set me off like few losses before. Perhaps it's because they really had a great shot at finally winning The Big One; perhaps because they were just 2 or 3 plays away from winning by two touchdowns; perhaps, just perhaps, because I am starting to start my own football mortality in the face. After all, it's no given that any team will win a championship. Every year is a new opportunity to lose in exciting and different ways.

The real issue has nothing to do with me, though. Heck, I am barely concerned about myself anymore. After all, as a 38-year old man who has followed this team his entire life, it's pretty clear that they're not going to win a Super Bowl in my lifetime. Now, though, I have a much greater concern - my little boy. He's only 18 months old, but he's already fallen victim to my Eagles dementia. The day of the game, we were both sporting Eagles jerseys, chanting the E-A-G-L-E-S cheer, and generally chasing a rolling football around the house.

How can I in good conscience pass this horrible, awful disease on to him?

Sure, at this point, he doesn't really know an Eagle from a Giant or a (gasp) Cowboy. When he gets a few years older, I'll likely encourage him to choose his own team without being "forced" to be a Birds fan. I just hope he doesn't follow in his Dad's footsteps on this one. After all, I am tired of this happening every darned year. It's exhausting, and frankly I don't know how much more I can take.

*sigh*

It's the most wonderful time of the year...

...and I don't mean the holidays. Few stretches of time are better for football fans than the 11-day marathon of college and pro games that started on New Year's Day and ends on Sunday.

Between the BCS Bowl games and the NFL playoffs, only 3 of the 11 said days do not offer at least one compelling big-time gridiron tilt. Whether or not you're a long-suffering diehard like yours truly (more on that in a second) or someone whose teams have long since stopped being relevant this season (which, more often than not is me as well), anyone who likes their pigskin served with a heaping portion of talent, drama, and high stakes is in their glory right now.

The College Angle

I was born rooting for the University of Alabama Crimson Tide. Both of my parents graduated from there, and I was born in the shadow of the school. So before I discovered professional football, baseball, or hockey, I already knew Bear Bryant was the best coach of all time and Joe Willie Namath could do no wrong.

As a kid, it was great, since the Tide was always in the mix. When I was 9 years old, they even won a national championship. I just figured that this was normal, and they'd be #1 all the time. Unfortunately, shortly after that 1980 Sugar Bowl win, Bear Bryant retired and died, and other than a miraculous blip in 1991 when Gene Stallings led the team to an improbable National Championship against a supremely talented Miami squad, the Tide has been languishing as an SEC afterthought.

The school went through a parade of average coaches until they stole one of the best in the business away from the Miami Dolphins in Nick Saban. After a rough first year, he had somehow gotten this season's team up to #1 for five whole weeks (thanks in no small part to historically bad losses by USC, Florida, and Texas). Sure, they were ahead of schedule, and really, I didn't think they had a legit shot at winning the championship...

...but yet they did.

Sadly, their 12-0 team got thumped by hated Florida in the SEC title game, but that's OK. Heartbreaking but not entirely unexpected (Florida was a 11-point favorite, after all). Even so, they got an invitation to the Sugar Bowl and a date with undefeated Utah, and a chance to atone for their loss, finish 13-1, and launch themselves into a great recruiting class for the future.

So, Friday night I settled into my easy chair with several adult beverages ready to be consumed. Thanks to the 8:30 starting time, the little boy and wife were both asleep. I was ready to watch my favorite team take it to an inferior opponent.

And then they got absolutely pounded into the ground. By the end of the first quarter, Utah was up 21-0. The Tide made a bit of a comeback to get within 4, but never really had a chance. I don't even remember what the final score was (I refuse to read about it). And my Friday night was ruined.

Sure, they had a great year, finishing 12-2. Sure, they were the #1 team for over a month. Sure, they have a young team that will only get better next year.

But you never know when you'll get another shot at a national championship - and they had one and blew it.

The Pro Angle

My love for the Philadelphia Eagles is a little more complicated. As a youngster, I loved the NFL, but didn't really have a favorite team so much as several teams I liked. I thought the Vikings uniforms were cool, dug the Jets, even had a fling with the Chargers.

Then when I was 11 or 12, my Dad got us season tickets to the Eagles.

And so it began.

I immediately got indoctrinated into Eagles Nation, a ridiculous cacaphony of drunken louts, heartbreaking defeats, and an incredibly awful stadium. Over time, the team ownership changed, a beautiful new stadium was erected, and the lowest of the low fanbase got priced out of attending. But one thing has stayed the same for these 20+ years.

They never win the big game.

More often than not, they've been terrible. Sometimes, they're good - just good enough to lose in the playoffs. Twice, they've been great enough to make it to the Super Bow, but not great enough to win it. Invariably, every single season I have rooted for this team, they have broken my heart.

This year, believe it or not, was more bipolar than most. Somehow, some way, they literally backed into the playoffs, thanks to an incredibly fortunate series of events that rarely befalls this team as well as a historic beatdown of the hated Cowboys.

Their first playoff game was Sunday afternoon against the extraordiarily average Minnesota Vikings, and from the moment on Friday it was clear Alabama was getting their butts handed to them, I was hoping against hope that the Birds could save my weekend.

And save it they did - eventually.

After letting the Vikes hang around all day and doing their best to not score any offensive touchdowns, the Eagles pulled off the one big play they had to and the victory was secure.

Yes, I know they likely will lose to the Giants this weekend coming up.

But they're still alive, and they have a chance.

Maybe, just maybe, this is the year.....

Holidaze

I am not a "bah humbug" kind of a guy - far from it. I legitimately enjoy Christmas and New Year's, especially with a little one now in the picture. Heck, next year he'll be 2 and a half, and will actually start to "get it" with Santa, presents, and so on.

But I am also not going to kid you. I am glad that the holidays are over. It's simply too busy too much, and I don't even do the shopping! Between furiously trying to make sure work is covered, packing up and going to all the different places we have to go, and meeting all the obligations we have, Christmas and New Year's are exhausting. So while I love 'em, I'm also glad that I am heading back to work and a normal schedule in a couple of days.

I have been able to take a little time and play some games over the past month or so, though, which has been a nice bonus. With so many games in my backlog, it's been exceedingly hard to figure out which ones to choose from. Luckily, I had one choice made for me due to a review. So here's the rundown:

Call of Duty: World At War (PS3)

I've played plenty of CoD's, and they're almost always terrific. Modern Warfare was a particularly high watermark in the series, and to be honest I was not exactly clamoring to jump right back into World War II (especially after spending November in Brothers in Arms). However, World At War takes all of the things that make CoD great and puts them together in a package so polished, gritty, and complete, I was blown away.

The single player campaign was simply tremendous, especially the Russian campaign into Berlin. Full disclosure: I am a big WWII buff and my favorite battles have always been Stalingrad and Berlin. The developers did such an amazing job with the final battles in Europe that I was stunned. The final levels, putting you in the shoes of the Russians storming the Reichstag and planting the Soviet flag on the roof, were just incredible. I can see how some people might not "get it" - it's just another level in another linear shooter - but damn it to hell if I didn't love every second of it.

Yes, it's hard. Yes, it's another WWII game. But it looks amazing, sounds terrific, controls perfectly, and you get to get yelled at by Keifer Sutherland. What more do you need?

Assassin's Creed (Xbox 360)

This one had been sitting on my backlog pile for over a year, and I finally decided to give it a whirl. Man, it looks good. But that can only take you so far. About 3 or 4 hours in, after caling the same tower about 5 times, and committing the same assassination 3 times, I decided I was bored. As an added "bonus", none of my Achievements were saving. While I know that shouldn't matter, it was the straw the broke the back, and I put it back on the pile.

I don't have time to play games that I don't like, after all. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Godfather: The Game (Xbox 360)

This one had been sitting on the backlog even longer. I'm not exactly a Godfather fan (hell, I never even saw the movie front to back) but I had always wanted to spend some quality time in the universe that EA created.

Remeber all that complaining I did about Assassin's Creed? You know, repetitive missions? Doing the same thing over and over? Well, take that, and add in the fact that the games looks ass ugly, and that's Godfather.

However, and this makes no sense, I'm enjoying it immensely. It's basically a GTA clone with lousy cars and an ordinary story, but I am getting a big kick out of taking over neighborhoods, advancing up the Corleone family ranks, buying properties, and taking over gambling and prostitution rackets. I also like the RPG-esque character upgrades; I have dedicated all my skill points to shooting so far, and with fantastic results. My dude can take out a kneecap at 50 yards no sweat, which comes in very handy when you're trying to eliminate a couple of dozen rival family thugs.

So that's where I am on New Year's 2009.

Happy New Year everyone!