Next-Gen's fantastic review of Feb NPD numbers

Was bored out of my gourd today in a meeting one part in which I had no part and took the time to read through this fine piece of business analysis at Next-Gen concerning current and future sales trends in the console business. I was enraptured and completely fascinated. As a old gamer and an admitted dork over the gaming industry (see my Gygax post for proof) it was great to read some real business numbers and analysis on how the big three are planning their year and what challenges they will face.

I own a Wii but covet a 360, perhaps a PS3. With Grand Theft Auto IV coming out end of April I'll be watching closely to see if Sony or MS will come out with a new console SKU to promote themselves before this important release. I will end up buying one, but there are pros and cons of both - PS3 in potential and the blu-ray drive, 360 in current ability (game base), DLC for GTAIV, and the ability to be mp3 streaming from my home server.

I'd better start saving now...Sarah won't be happy...and not to mention that Mario Kart Wii is coming out the same week - I don't know how I'll manage it all with my personal accountant :)

Cheers to The Economist

If ever I could be any more proud of my adopted publication, it would be after reading their obit on Gary Gygax. First, if anyone knows me they know how much I gush about the quality of this paper.

But in this case they prove once again that they are the foremost newspaper/magazine being dolled out to eager subscribers.

Gary Gygax did have a HUGE impact on me and still does. I love the game he created and that does make me a certified, die-carrying nerd.

But this paragraph pefectly sets the context of a man few outside of DND had heard of:

His influence extends even to people who have never conjured a fireball in anger. Today's world is a nerd's world, and Mr Gygax did much to shape it. Blockbuster fantasy films like “The Lord of the Rings” are produced and directed by people who grew up with the game. Computer games are part of mainstream culture; “World of Warcraft”, an internet-based D&D clone, boasts 10m subscribers. Many of the people who built the internet (and their fortunes) spent their childhoods playing the game. The entry for D&D on Wikipedia is twice the length of the article on Proust

Rest in peace Gary - you were the grandfather millions of us wish we had. Thanks for the thousands of hours we had (and will continue to have). PS - anyone know a good gamer group in NE Raleigh???

Guitar Hero and humility

33 next week. Crow eating this week.

Bought a Wii a while back but just recently got Guitar Hero III with all the 80s metal I love. Dude - there's even Slayer and Maiden on there. It was a no brainer for me. I had played it at my buddy's house couple of weeks back and thought I was a budding rockstar judging by my fairly decent ability at it on my first time.

Well now I watch Sarah's brother (who's staying with us while he finishes this semester online) play it on Hard - and yeah...I would rather everyone leave for a while so I can play with my toys...don't you guys need to take a walk?

It's one thing to rock out in front of others.

But getting booed off stage while trying to play my glory days teenage rock song isn't so good for the inner hero.

Practice Daniel-san. Practice.

Gamers untie!

(yes I meant to misspell that)

A little something from the news that appears more and more as older gamers seek out stories like this to hug to their breast while muttering "I'm not alone, I'm not alone!"

From Geek to Chic: Record Sales Signal Video Games' Arrival
Sales of More Than $13 Billion a Sign That Gaming Has Arrived
Jan. 25, 2007

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/GameOn/story?id=2819621&page=1Publish

• key point
  "There are things we used to talk about that seemed like pie-in-the-sky talk, like the mainstreaming of games, but now I think it's happened," said Jeff Green, editor in chief of Games for Windows: The Official Magazine. "In general, what used to be called 'geeky' is just mainstream nowadays."