Obscure Gamer – Not So Jolly Roger

Posted in Obscure Gamer | 1 Comment »

Piracy is once again back in the headlines, for several reasons. The latest DRM for PC games from Ubi Soft has been heavily satirised by the web cartoonists. The industry has also released figures showing losses accumulated due to game piracy. Then there was the million-dollar fine for the Australian accused of illegally uploading a Wii game.

Obscure Gamer – Reprinted

Posted in Obscure Gamer | No Comments »

Gamers recently heard rumours that Nintendo’s Metroid Prime Trilogy for the Wii was being discontinued, in that no new copies would be printed. The rumour was soon strongly denied, but it did highlight a good issue – what happens to rare games that go out of print?

Obscure Gamer – Refinement

Posted in Obscure Gamer | No Comments »

Hollywood does it all the time – take an old movie from one or two generations ago, cast young actors, hype the remake and put out something that is vaguely satisfying. Unfortunately the video game industry appears to be heading down this track too.

Obscure Gamer – Review of 2009

Posted in Obscure Gamer | 1 Comment »

It’s traditional to round up what has been happening at the end of the year, and to take a look forward at what is coming next. So here are some of my highlights of the gaming year.

Obscure Gamer – Three Horse Race

Posted in Obscure Gamer | No Comments »

Every year there is a major race on for the consumers’ money. And this winter is no different. So what is the form guide for the runners going into the race, and what are the odds on a new leader?

Obscure Gamer – Recipe for success

Posted in Obscure Gamer | No Comments »

Infinity Ward are the chefs, and they have been toiling away in Activision’s kitchen to send out a perfect dish for Christmas 2009 – Modern Warfare 2. But what is the recipe for success?

Portable problems

Posted in Obscure Gamer | No Comments »

Sony had the chance to shake up the portable console market and to maintain its grip on gaming. Somewhere along the line things went wrong after such initial promise. The latest iteration, the PSP Go, has boosted sales but does it have a long-term future?

Obscure Gamer – The Whine List

Posted in Obscure Gamer | 1 Comment »

Gaming forums are not a good place for the faint-hearted, but just recently there seems to have been a lot of whining and misplaced angst. While there are easy targets – Sony’s poor handling of the PSP Go – there have been some misguided campaigns of hate that deserve to be shot down in flames, ridiculed and dispatched to the darkest corners of the Internet.

Obscure Gamer – A swipe at Gameswipe

Posted in Obscure Gamer | 3 Comments »

Charlie Brooker used to review games, and in his BBC4 programme Gameswipe (part of the BBC’s Electric Revolution season) he took his usual acerbic and satirical view at the games industry – and in particular how the media has represented games over the years. And while it was good, there were a few things that could have been better.

Obscure Gamer – Not Buying It

Posted in Obscure Gamer | No Comments »

As the year turns towards autumn and gamers minds’ turn to the big new releases, there are several things I am not buying. The most obvious is Modern Warfare 2: Call Of Duty. It will probably turn out to be one of the biggest selling releases of all time, but it’s not for me.

Obscure Gamer – Retraining

Posted in Obscure Gamer | 1 Comment »

Bravo’s series Deadliest Warrior got me thinking about all the great games over the years featuring ninjas, from the classic System 3 game The Last Ninja to various beat ‘em ups. But there is one series I am not a fan of – Ninja Gaiden. It’s just one of several similar games on the way.

Obscure Gamer – Remake and Reboot

Posted in Obscure Gamer | No Comments »

Hollywood is going through a phase at the moment. The “reboot” of films such as Batman Begins, or the remake of titles including “The Taking of Pelham 123”, demonstrates a lack of original ideas and voices. And the games industry seems to be following suit, relying on summer blockbusters and sequels as much as the cinema.

Obscure Gamer – Get Together

Posted in Obscure Gamer | No Comments »

Next weekend I’m off to Manchester, for two reasons. I’m going to spend most of the weekend in a pub, although I will take some time out on the Sunday to go around an exhibition at the Urbis centre.

Obscure Gamer – Redesign Rejection

Posted in Obscure Gamer | 1 Comment »

There were rumours about Sony redesigning its hardware in the run-up to E3, and they proved to be true. The PSP without a UMD drive emerged, but the slimline PS3 (not PSThree, that would be too hideous for words) did not. Will it make a real difference?

Obscure Gamer – Are games too cheap?

Posted in Obscure Gamer | 2 Comments »

I’ve been shopping this week – both online and in my local town – and something is troubling me. There are too many cheap games on the shelves, and some of the deals just seem too good to be true. I realise this may sound like an odd argument, but does the cheap price mean we value the game less?