There are at least two values in GTA: entertainment and fantasy. It's always good to be entertained by a game. The visuals, the sounds, the strange animations, and the exploration is entertaining. The fantasy value is when someone kills, explodes, runs over, helps a gang, hinders a gang, or many other types of mayhem and no one is really hurt or damage really done. I'm no psychologist, but I think its great that people can get that out of their system in the fantasy world instead of the real one. The player's age is irrelevant as long as the person playing has the maturity and proper perspective that it's just a game.
These special interest Congressional inquiries are a complete and total waste of American Tax Dollars. Let's compare it with steroid use in baseball. Both are internal issues in a self-regulated system. Both will change their policies to match the perceived societal "norm." Both fixed the problem to the best of their abilities prior to inquiry. There was/will be no new information uncovered by this inquiry. Finally, the "problem" is so vast, it will never be fixed.
In the case of video games, unintentional Easter Eggs will remain, people will cheat, and people will mod. What is really the key to this issue is that the difference in ratings between M and AO is arbitrary.
If the mod maker reveals the exact methods used in creating the mod, and they can be reproduced, there is no question as to the code being there. It doesn't matter, though. Soft-core is the stuff of "R" ratings in movies. These "people" are polygons, so it's virtual soft-core. The "M" game rating has the same age suggestion as the "R" movie rating.
Does it make me want the game before it's re-rated? You betcha. If GTA:SA was re-rated would retailers sell it? GTA has a better chance than any other AO game. Hell, if they had to switch to "AO," they may as well make the sex mini-game available while playing. Will I buy it? No. I'm not all that interested in the main GTA game.
It really proves the "no such thing as bad press" concept. After all, if Rockstar lied in their official statement, that will put them back in the news for more sale$!
Apparently you didn't RTFP, or you don't understand economics. If it costs less to practice click fraud than the sales lost to company A's advertising (or, if you're Microsoftian, if you can magnify company A's costs sufficiently more than your own), then you are better off than you would have been if you had not engaged in click fraud, which is not "a waste".
Point taken. This was a constructive response. I guess this volley of lawsuits will prove if alleged fraud is cheaper or not. Even though I understand economics, I am the worst at business dealings. You will do better if you hear my advice and do the opposite of my suggestions. Thanks!
I shouldn't respond to Trolls, but if you had noticed that I had RTFA (don't ever post RTFA, its an automatic troll)you'd know:
I wasn't talking about company A--ever. Your outline actually proof that Google isn't the problem, and that company B just wasted a lot of money paying people to do this. Company A should sue company B, because company A chose to use Google Ads. No one forced them.
Instead they're treating it like a car wreck--a chain of lawsuits. Hence, the reason Google is suing companies B (in the recent update).
I actually don't understand why anyone would compensate for clicks or visits anyway. It's a naive to think that means the person meant to go there, or even that they're interested in the product. I understand from an old article on NPR that the whole banner-clickthru advertising method was proven to be ineffective anyway. We learned this 10 years ago, when banners were the method of choice.
Compensation for ads should be counted as number of sales resulting from the clickthru. Those sales should only be counted if the purchase profit is greater than the clickthru fee.
To all web advertisers: take control of own your ad methods because you are the ones with the money.
Perhaps they should read Google's TOS that prevents their liability for damages of any kind. Plus, if a company pays people to click their ads, they're the one committing the fraud and the only losers are the company itself and the IRS.
The company is a loser because they paid money for an ad that no one but their own people see. They could have saved money by not purchasing the ad to begin with. The IRS loses taxes because the company is providing service to Google, and then from Google to itself, meaning about half of the transaction taxes evaporate.
I frequently spend $25 on a movie and snacks for two. Total time is usually 90 minutes. The maximum amount of interaction with the movie is laughing, being surprised or scared, and shushing the idiot who spends $25 to talk on his cell. Most of the time, I feel the experience was worth it. Yet $15 a month for an online game is a lot?
I also feel the $15 a month is high, but we're equating the game servers with internet servers. Since game servers are highly specialized, we should be happy the price is so low. I think it is a resistance-to-change mindset. Still, I prefer the "free service with purchase approach," because my interest will wane quickly. It's like insurance, you get overpaid for most players, and underpaid for the hardcore.
It is my conclusion that hardcore fans will never enjoy the lower prices we currently have if there aren't a huge number of casual fans.
My library has had a policy on media-other-than-books as long as I can remember. They don't let minors check them out. The exception was the children's section, but you were limited to a total of three.
If there was ever a good argument for keeping the original game in storage and loaning a single playable duplicate of that game (disc media, anyway), this would be it. Rental stores, too. You could replace a stolen copy (and report it), and the sale of older items (destroying the copies) would fetch a better price.
Since Midway distributes San Francisco Rush, and other "Rush" titles, I'm hoping that LA Rush is a racing title. The Rush series are known for their shortcuts, longcuts, and coin collection for status.
I'd really like to drive the ZZTop car as a "branding," especially with their music.
Advertisements never get squelched completely. Like the rest of us, they have to change their ways. Does that mean that Double-click is so entrenched in their business model that they can't evolve into an advertising method that is pleasing to the customer? I doubt they're afraid for us.
Every pop-up/under that results indirectly from visiting a web site needs to be closed or blocked immediately and without prejudice. The ad makers aren't learning. Hitting someone every time they don't buy your product is the reason you can't get as many customers as you want.
The author of TFA is a Nintendophile, but not without reason. The truth is there are many pick up games on all systems, especially the Namco classics and Karaoke and Dance games. He qualifies his editorial that his likes are not everybody's. Mine are fringe tastes, which includes Nightmare of Druga (most hate it), and Beatmania IIDX. Both games are simple in concept, but require a near obsessive attempt to perfect a level over and over.
I see a lot of repetition in game concepts, but there really are a lot of original titles out there if you pay attention. Stretch Panic, Technic Beat, Beatmania (Japan for now), Pop N Music (Japan), Breath of Fire (Dragon Quarter), Shadow of Destiny, CSI (bringing back the point-and-click game), etc. It's too early to declare innovention dead.
I used the PSP for porn almost immediately. I only saved photos on my memory stick pro duo (why does that sound so dirty, all of a sudden?). They looked really good! And then I removed them. For some reason I didn't think it was a good idea to have porn on a device that is targeted at minors and that would very probably end up in a minor's hands. I could see the headlines: "Accidental Porn Release...."
Fair enough! I have no rebuttal, but a form of agreement. Every story, movie, game, that attempts perfect continuity is "stuck." (example: Star Trek) You run out of new things to introduce, and they cease to be entertaining. So instead, you can either change things up and reinvent (example: rebuilding the Red Dwarf universe 2 or 3 times), or you can intentionally break your own continuity so that you may create an odd explanation as to how things came to be (example: Dawn on Buffy the Vampire slayer). It's fiction. Its not real and doesn't have to follow the rules. Do these things well, and you will have a stronger fan base.
This is in response to all. I've played all the Zeldas that were on the Nintendo systems, except for many on Gameboy Advance. The Link and Zelda in Legend of Zelda, Link's Adventure, Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Windwaker are all the same two characters. Link and Zelda are only different characters in Wind Waker. It is the only game to point out the fact that a Link and Zelda existed in the past. Also, please don't assume I didn't RTFA. The only hint Miyamoto gives is "different versions." Versions are not automatically different. In the games I mentioned above, the only versioning was how they look and play, mostly due to increased processing power. I say this because in each of the games, there is a timeline where they fit that are all within the original Legend of Zelda timeframe. They make a point of mentioning how and when these things happen. There would be no need of this if they weren't the same characters. (please no Castlevania references, because that game makes it clear they are all different centuries and different Belmonts)
On a philosophical level, yes, they are different. But that isn't the literal meaning. Another thing that lends to the concept of alternate Link and Zelda universes is all of the alternate universes and time travel that occurs. In fact, Ocarina of time ends with a lot of possibilities, because Link and Zelda forget everything that happened due to time travel. Most importantly, you can go from Ocarina directly into The Legend of Zelda, because they meet Ganon for the first time.
Basically, I get it. It's complex, but I've been following it since the 80's. I understand the nuances. Thanks for the book reference, it sounds interesting.
Most people prejudged Wind Waker because they were teased with the more realistic graphics, and then discovered an entirely new game was coming. The simplistic-looking Cel-shaded game disappointed us.
I've played it all the way thru. The gameplay really deserves kudos for trying something different with the seafaring Link; however, the mechanic became incredibly boring as the game wore on. As for cartoony, it achieved a coherent style.
Here come the Spoilers for those who plan to play Windwaker
I disliked the fact that Link and Zelda were completely different and just looked like the original Link and Zelda. Its actually a "side story" variant. The final battle with Gannon was very easy compared to all the other Zelda games. I understand this one is a direct sequel with the real Link in it. I guess in the far future, their race's skin becomes smooth and posterized.
There were two restaurant chains in my area. One catered to families, Rivertowne, and the other to Adults, Gadgets. Rivertowne served beer with the pizza for the adults, and the arcade and game tables were mostly non-juvenile and non-redemption. Gadgets served full bar, didn't allow anyone under 21 to stay without a parent in the main club, had a separate arcade (open late for those over 18), and absolutely no redemption games. Adults don't like redemption games much. The downfall of both, I believe, was the repetitive animatronic show. That's definitely a kiddie thing. Gadgets had Warner Brothers characters as their show.
What makes an adult establishment work these days is sports broadcasts, full bar, espresso, and a decent menu. Adding UWink is a good idea (most bars have something similar), but it doesn't encourage an entire group to play a game. They're so small, it restricts wide-open play to a group of eight or so. It might work if done correctly, so I'm not going to discount Mr. Bushnell's efforts. I just wish there was at least one UWink site in my area to at least compare.
Re:Three reasons why Metroid Prime's jumping works
on
A Gamer's Manifesto
·
· Score: 1
You make great points there. I'd also like to add to #3 that Metroid Prime was developed with fully realized 3D areas. If you can fall, you fall somewhere, and you can see it.
I actually disliked the parts where MP tries to be a FPS. The game is not like that most of the time, so the dodge-and-shoot repetitive palette-swapped enemy areas were laborious.
The customers are the game players. I feel they're trying to alienate us game players by ignoring the fact it is almost solely a game machine. I'm not going to buy a mobile phone that wasn't designed to be a phone. So if the PS3 isn't a game system, but a media center, I won't be needing redundant hardware.
If Sony announced the Playstation wasn't going to have games for the first year of release because it wasn't a game system, how many would they sell?
If you don't feel like shelling out $400 for the latest and greatest its first year out of the gate, wait 9 months. Same with all electronics. I've been an "early adopter" on game systems and paid the price. I waited for TVs, VCRs, PCs, and CD and DVD players to drop to half of their original prices prior to buying the latest and greatest, and it saved me a great deal of money. It's all about mass-production.
It doesn't make sense for software to cost more, except for price-gouging. Original releases will cost more simply because of the risk of producing for a brand-new console.
Overhyping indeed: Sony claims that PS3 will be roughly 35 times more powerful than PS2.
I don't think we're able to sense how powerful the PS2 is. We'll notice some improvement with PS3 (mostly graphics), but there's no way we'll realize the actual improvement. Ports and developer kits will probably not use the increased power for first generation games. Full potential is always greater than realized potential.
The comments on "yet another FPS" kind of echo my sentiments. However, not everyone is tired of FPS. Also, think of the consequences if all FPS ceased production. Everyone would start to want a FPS and badly. I say let them perfect the genre.
A better way to end the "pretty" bias is to do interviews for booth attendants with a blind between the interviewer and interviewee. Think The Dating Game here. Have all the interviews reviewed and pick the women based on their verbal charisma and knowledge.
Some will be pretty, even so! Most will be ordinary, and some may be ugly, but at least you can say with a clear conscience that you hired the best ones for the job.
I'm not really sure that this is the intent of booth attendees. Let's face it, the best way to explain your game is to have it playable. The people at the booths are usually paid actors to be standing adverts for the company. E3 is about information AND entertainment. Beautiful people are more entertaining that ordinary ones.
This would make excellent thesis materiel for Social Psychology undergrads. One booth has product and no spokespeople, one with product and knowledgeable spokespeople of common stock, one with product and "babes" that don't speak at all, and one that gives all visitors a crisp $5 bill.
Think of the in-context marketing that is possible: Nike, Gatorade, Trojan.... What do you mean by, "I'm missing the obvious?" The Blob puts Jelly in his Belly!
PSOne and PS2 didn't jump the gun because of Saturn or Dreamcast. Both decisions were correct. Basically, learn from your competition and let them shoulder the financial burden of next-gen marketing.
For at least one year, many XBox360 games will seem to be XBox games ported to the new video and sound capabilities. If Sony follows suit, we may be looking at just game demos for 6 months.
Arcade games with a buy-in continue started this a long time ago. Then again, the real kudos went to those who did best on a single quarter. Usually the game will reset your score or make you ineligible for the high score leaderboard. With a little care, the games purchased content could be for "fun only" and not for "tournament legal."
Also, the free "promo only" items we get for pre-purchasing games are often great to start with, but won't last after a couple levels. So it's not the concept of micropurchase that's the problem, it's how you use it.
Slashdot Mirror
There are at least two values in GTA: entertainment and fantasy. It's always good to be entertained by a game. The visuals, the sounds, the strange animations, and the exploration is entertaining. The fantasy value is when someone kills, explodes, runs over, helps a gang, hinders a gang, or many other types of mayhem and no one is really hurt or damage really done. I'm no psychologist, but I think its great that people can get that out of their system in the fantasy world instead of the real one. The player's age is irrelevant as long as the person playing has the maturity and proper perspective that it's just a game.
These special interest Congressional inquiries are a complete and total waste of American Tax Dollars. Let's compare it with steroid use in baseball. Both are internal issues in a self-regulated system. Both will change their policies to match the perceived societal "norm." Both fixed the problem to the best of their abilities prior to inquiry. There was/will be no new information uncovered by this inquiry. Finally, the "problem" is so vast, it will never be fixed.
In the case of video games, unintentional Easter Eggs will remain, people will cheat, and people will mod. What is really the key to this issue is that the difference in ratings between M and AO is arbitrary.
If the mod maker reveals the exact methods used in creating the mod, and they can be reproduced, there is no question as to the code being there. It doesn't matter, though. Soft-core is the stuff of "R" ratings in movies. These "people" are polygons, so it's virtual soft-core. The "M" game rating has the same age suggestion as the "R" movie rating.
Does it make me want the game before it's re-rated? You betcha. If GTA:SA was re-rated would retailers sell it? GTA has a better chance than any other AO game. Hell, if they had to switch to "AO," they may as well make the sex mini-game available while playing. Will I buy it? No. I'm not all that interested in the main GTA game.
It really proves the "no such thing as bad press" concept. After all, if Rockstar lied in their official statement, that will put them back in the news for more sale$!
Apparently you didn't RTFP, or you don't understand economics. If it costs less to practice click fraud than the sales lost to company A's advertising (or, if you're Microsoftian, if you can magnify company A's costs sufficiently more than your own), then you are better off than you would have been if you had not engaged in click fraud, which is not "a waste".
Point taken. This was a constructive response. I guess this volley of lawsuits will prove if alleged fraud is cheaper or not. Even though I understand economics, I am the worst at business dealings. You will do better if you hear my advice and do the opposite of my suggestions. Thanks!
I shouldn't respond to Trolls, but if you had noticed that I had RTFA (don't ever post RTFA, its an automatic troll)you'd know:
I wasn't talking about company A--ever. Your outline actually proof that Google isn't the problem, and that company B just wasted a lot of money paying people to do this. Company A should sue company B, because company A chose to use Google Ads. No one forced them.
Instead they're treating it like a car wreck--a chain of lawsuits. Hence, the reason Google is suing companies B (in the recent update).
I actually don't understand why anyone would compensate for clicks or visits anyway. It's a naive to think that means the person meant to go there, or even that they're interested in the product. I understand from an old article on NPR that the whole banner-clickthru advertising method was proven to be ineffective anyway. We learned this 10 years ago, when banners were the method of choice.
Compensation for ads should be counted as number of sales resulting from the clickthru. Those sales should only be counted if the purchase profit is greater than the clickthru fee.
To all web advertisers: take control of own your ad methods because you are the ones with the money.
Perhaps they should read Google's TOS that prevents their liability for damages of any kind. Plus, if a company pays people to click their ads, they're the one committing the fraud and the only losers are the company itself and the IRS.
The company is a loser because they paid money for an ad that no one but their own people see. They could have saved money by not purchasing the ad to begin with. The IRS loses taxes because the company is providing service to Google, and then from Google to itself, meaning about half of the transaction taxes evaporate.
I frequently spend $25 on a movie and snacks for two. Total time is usually 90 minutes. The maximum amount of interaction with the movie is laughing, being surprised or scared, and shushing the idiot who spends $25 to talk on his cell. Most of the time, I feel the experience was worth it. Yet $15 a month for an online game is a lot?
I also feel the $15 a month is high, but we're equating the game servers with internet servers. Since game servers are highly specialized, we should be happy the price is so low. I think it is a resistance-to-change mindset. Still, I prefer the "free service with purchase approach," because my interest will wane quickly. It's like insurance, you get overpaid for most players, and underpaid for the hardcore.
It is my conclusion that hardcore fans will never enjoy the lower prices we currently have if there aren't a huge number of casual fans.
My library has had a policy on media-other-than-books as long as I can remember. They don't let minors check them out. The exception was the children's section, but you were limited to a total of three.
If there was ever a good argument for keeping the original game in storage and loaning a single playable duplicate of that game (disc media, anyway), this would be it. Rental stores, too. You could replace a stolen copy (and report it), and the sale of older items (destroying the copies) would fetch a better price.
Since Midway distributes San Francisco Rush, and other "Rush" titles, I'm hoping that LA Rush is a racing title. The Rush series are known for their shortcuts, longcuts, and coin collection for status.
I'd really like to drive the ZZTop car as a "branding," especially with their music.
Advertisements never get squelched completely. Like the rest of us, they have to change their ways. Does that mean that Double-click is so entrenched in their business model that they can't evolve into an advertising method that is pleasing to the customer? I doubt they're afraid for us.
Every pop-up/under that results indirectly from visiting a web site needs to be closed or blocked immediately and without prejudice. The ad makers aren't learning. Hitting someone every time they don't buy your product is the reason you can't get as many customers as you want.
(TFA was slashdotted)
The author of TFA is a Nintendophile, but not without reason. The truth is there are many pick up games on all systems, especially the Namco classics and Karaoke and Dance games. He qualifies his editorial that his likes are not everybody's. Mine are fringe tastes, which includes Nightmare of Druga (most hate it), and Beatmania IIDX. Both games are simple in concept, but require a near obsessive attempt to perfect a level over and over.
I see a lot of repetition in game concepts, but there really are a lot of original titles out there if you pay attention. Stretch Panic, Technic Beat, Beatmania (Japan for now), Pop N Music (Japan), Breath of Fire (Dragon Quarter), Shadow of Destiny, CSI (bringing back the point-and-click game), etc. It's too early to declare innovention dead.
I used the PSP for porn almost immediately. I only saved photos on my memory stick pro duo (why does that sound so dirty, all of a sudden?). They looked really good! And then I removed them. For some reason I didn't think it was a good idea to have porn on a device that is targeted at minors and that would very probably end up in a minor's hands. I could see the headlines: "Accidental Porn Release...."
Fair enough! I have no rebuttal, but a form of agreement. Every story, movie, game, that attempts perfect continuity is "stuck." (example: Star Trek) You run out of new things to introduce, and they cease to be entertaining. So instead, you can either change things up and reinvent (example: rebuilding the Red Dwarf universe 2 or 3 times), or you can intentionally break your own continuity so that you may create an odd explanation as to how things came to be (example: Dawn on Buffy the Vampire slayer). It's fiction. Its not real and doesn't have to follow the rules. Do these things well, and you will have a stronger fan base.
Thanks for the insight!
This is in response to all. I've played all the Zeldas that were on the Nintendo systems, except for many on Gameboy Advance. The Link and Zelda in Legend of Zelda, Link's Adventure, Link to the Past, Ocarina of Time, and Windwaker are all the same two characters. Link and Zelda are only different characters in Wind Waker. It is the only game to point out the fact that a Link and Zelda existed in the past. Also, please don't assume I didn't RTFA. The only hint Miyamoto gives is "different versions." Versions are not automatically different. In the games I mentioned above, the only versioning was how they look and play, mostly due to increased processing power. I say this because in each of the games, there is a timeline where they fit that are all within the original Legend of Zelda timeframe. They make a point of mentioning how and when these things happen. There would be no need of this if they weren't the same characters. (please no Castlevania references, because that game makes it clear they are all different centuries and different Belmonts)
On a philosophical level, yes, they are different. But that isn't the literal meaning. Another thing that lends to the concept of alternate Link and Zelda universes is all of the alternate universes and time travel that occurs. In fact, Ocarina of time ends with a lot of possibilities, because Link and Zelda forget everything that happened due to time travel. Most importantly, you can go from Ocarina directly into The Legend of Zelda, because they meet Ganon for the first time.
Basically, I get it. It's complex, but I've been following it since the 80's. I understand the nuances. Thanks for the book reference, it sounds interesting.
Most people prejudged Wind Waker because they were teased with the more realistic graphics, and then discovered an entirely new game was coming. The simplistic-looking Cel-shaded game disappointed us.
I've played it all the way thru. The gameplay really deserves kudos for trying something different with the seafaring Link; however, the mechanic became incredibly boring as the game wore on. As for cartoony, it achieved a coherent style.
Here come the Spoilers for those who plan to play Windwaker
I disliked the fact that Link and Zelda were completely different and just looked like the original Link and Zelda. Its actually a "side story" variant. The final battle with Gannon was very easy compared to all the other Zelda games. I understand this one is a direct sequel with the real Link in it. I guess in the far future, their race's skin becomes smooth and posterized.
There were two restaurant chains in my area. One catered to families, Rivertowne, and the other to Adults, Gadgets. Rivertowne served beer with the pizza for the adults, and the arcade and game tables were mostly non-juvenile and non-redemption. Gadgets served full bar, didn't allow anyone under 21 to stay without a parent in the main club, had a separate arcade (open late for those over 18), and absolutely no redemption games. Adults don't like redemption games much. The downfall of both, I believe, was the repetitive animatronic show. That's definitely a kiddie thing. Gadgets had Warner Brothers characters as their show.
What makes an adult establishment work these days is sports broadcasts, full bar, espresso, and a decent menu. Adding UWink is a good idea (most bars have something similar), but it doesn't encourage an entire group to play a game. They're so small, it restricts wide-open play to a group of eight or so. It might work if done correctly, so I'm not going to discount Mr. Bushnell's efforts. I just wish there was at least one UWink site in my area to at least compare.
You make great points there. I'd also like to add to #3 that Metroid Prime was developed with fully realized 3D areas. If you can fall, you fall somewhere, and you can see it.
I actually disliked the parts where MP tries to be a FPS. The game is not like that most of the time, so the dodge-and-shoot repetitive palette-swapped enemy areas were laborious.
The customers are the game players. I feel they're trying to alienate us game players by ignoring the fact it is almost solely a game machine. I'm not going to buy a mobile phone that wasn't designed to be a phone. So if the PS3 isn't a game system, but a media center, I won't be needing redundant hardware.
If Sony announced the Playstation wasn't going to have games for the first year of release because it wasn't a game system, how many would they sell?
If you don't feel like shelling out $400 for the latest and greatest its first year out of the gate, wait 9 months. Same with all electronics. I've been an "early adopter" on game systems and paid the price. I waited for TVs, VCRs, PCs, and CD and DVD players to drop to half of their original prices prior to buying the latest and greatest, and it saved me a great deal of money. It's all about mass-production.
It doesn't make sense for software to cost more, except for price-gouging. Original releases will cost more simply because of the risk of producing for a brand-new console.
Overhyping indeed: Sony claims that PS3 will be roughly 35 times more powerful than PS2.
I don't think we're able to sense how powerful the PS2 is. We'll notice some improvement with PS3 (mostly graphics), but there's no way we'll realize the actual improvement. Ports and developer kits will probably not use the increased power for first generation games. Full potential is always greater than realized potential.
The comments on "yet another FPS" kind of echo my sentiments. However, not everyone is tired of FPS. Also, think of the consequences if all FPS ceased production. Everyone would start to want a FPS and badly. I say let them perfect the genre.
A better way to end the "pretty" bias is to do interviews for booth attendants with a blind between the interviewer and interviewee. Think The Dating Game here. Have all the interviews reviewed and pick the women based on their verbal charisma and knowledge.
Some will be pretty, even so! Most will be ordinary, and some may be ugly, but at least you can say with a clear conscience that you hired the best ones for the job.
I'm not really sure that this is the intent of booth attendees. Let's face it, the best way to explain your game is to have it playable. The people at the booths are usually paid actors to be standing adverts for the company. E3 is about information AND entertainment. Beautiful people are more entertaining that ordinary ones.
This would make excellent thesis materiel for Social Psychology undergrads. One booth has product and no spokespeople, one with product and knowledgeable spokespeople of common stock, one with product and "babes" that don't speak at all, and one that gives all visitors a crisp $5 bill.
Think of the in-context marketing that is possible: Nike, Gatorade, Trojan.... What do you mean by, "I'm missing the obvious?" The Blob puts Jelly in his Belly!
PSOne and PS2 didn't jump the gun because of Saturn or Dreamcast. Both decisions were correct. Basically, learn from your competition and let them shoulder the financial burden of next-gen marketing.
For at least one year, many XBox360 games will seem to be XBox games ported to the new video and sound capabilities. If Sony follows suit, we may be looking at just game demos for 6 months.
Arcade games with a buy-in continue started this a long time ago. Then again, the real kudos went to those who did best on a single quarter. Usually the game will reset your score or make you ineligible for the high score leaderboard. With a little care, the games purchased content could be for "fun only" and not for "tournament legal."
Also, the free "promo only" items we get for pre-purchasing games are often great to start with, but won't last after a couple levels. So it's not the concept of micropurchase that's the problem, it's how you use it.