AdVantage Point: Marvel Super Heroes War of the Gems (1996)

Give an idiot a scanner and a comic book and let him pick out all the advertisements for video games.
This is AdVantage Point -- a chance to document the winding timeline of comics/gaming history as it was canonized by the adverts. Musings, rantings, observations, stream of consciousness.

 

In only a handful of articles we've already discussed several examples of games making good use of a licensed comics property [Dragonball, Catwoman, Wolverine, X-Men], but while most have done well to adequately represent the recognised characters attached to specific brands, few games before 1996 could boast the scope of today's Capcom platforming beat 'em up feature -- Marvel Super Heroes: War of the Gems.

As this generation's movie goers are fast discovering, superheroes from Marvel (and DC) are part of an expansive universe that goes far beyond the human/mutant socio-politics of the X-Men, corporate espionage of Iron Man, and government experimentation of Hulk. The great creative attraction of borrowing the established properties of the Marvel Universe is not only the implied sales base it comes with, but also several decades of creations and ideas ready to be drawn upon!

Borrowing the six cosmic Infinity Gems from Infinity Crusade, and evil doppelgangers created by the Magus in Infinity War; War of the Gems leaves behind the various X-Men and Spider-man games in an effort to touch upon the Marvel Universe at large!

Fans will recognise the protagonists summoned by Adam Warlock (to obtain the scattered gems) as various heroes from Capcom's 1995 arcade fighter, Marvel Super Heroes. Iron Man, Spider-man, Captain America, Wolverine, and Hulk, all appear as playable options.
Like War of the Gems, the traditional beat 'em up also featured the Infinity Gems, allowing players to obtain various power-ups via their application. One or two pieces of art from the fighter were reused for the SNES exclusive, but for the most part, this did benefit from being a newly created game. Representing the Marvel Universe are villainous doppelgangers of previous Capcom absentees; Daredevil, Hawkeye, Puck, Sasquatch, She-Hulk, Silver Surfer, Thing, Vision, as well as traditional antagonists, the Magus, Nebula, Blackheart, Dr. Doom, and Thanos.

In a period where comics and the SNES were in decline, you could note that the advert makes great usage of the established heroes of the Marvel Universe. Cross-promotion meant cartoons had already exposed audiences to the popular feature heroes, creating a self-perpetuating engine that could only benefit from the exposure of narrative direction that gave War of the Gems a greater point than many of it's 8 and 16-bit predecessors.

I might be inclined to be more critical of SNES games than most, but the 1996 release dates shows all it's benefits in colourful screenshots showcased in the ad. Quite unlike many games in the console's prime, War of the Gems shows off the four-colour glory of the recognisable icons of print. Level design struggles, as most games do, to be a trademark of the game, but locales like Latveria at least enfuse each stage with an imagination unique to established comics properties.

Though primative, these games represent the sustainability inherent to characters that have endured over forty years of publication. Problems encountered by the likes of the recent Wolverine film tie-in ( X-Men Origins: Wolverine), treat the properties with a short-sighted perspective, offering little to set them apart from alternate releases in the same genres. Wolverine succeeds on the unlikely premise of developing technological and conceptual platforms, but as increasingly evident in the current market of gaming, those aspects are becoming a diminished factor to any sales pitch. The leap in graphics and function simply isn't the same as it was in the medium's early days.

Marvel: Ultimate Alliance 2 promises to capitalize on storylines introduced in Marvel's Civil War, offering up the next available opportunity to gauge how comics can use their experience as a sequential medium to blaze a trail in gaming's philosophical search for existence. One can't help but feel the eagerly anticipated virtual console release of Marvel vs Capcom 2 might just challenge the action-RPG, continuing this generation's disregard for the value of story. Disappointing, but a perspective that might just lend extra oomph to the future's change of heart.

Marvel vs Capcom 2 was the popular culmination of Capcom's Marvel license.
Thus, we come full circle. Hopefully the value of story in gaming can do the same.

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8988273

Musi(c.)PSX: Eisbaer (1997)

Sony's Playstation console was first released in Japan in December of 1994.
A year later, it spread across the globe, leading to it's eventual assimilation into modern living. The console was officially discontinued by Sony in 2006, but began a process of phasing out with the 2000 release of the Playstation2. Known in it's early years colloquially as the PSX, the console was characterised by a slick attitude that met modern gamers on varying levels, boasting releases like Wipeout, which fused electronic music culture with the gaming experience. This post is a celebration of that time. Music circa (c.) the PSX.

Groovezone - Eisbaer (1997)

1997 was a great time to own a PSX.
By this point, the console was well and truly entering a mainstream in flux. I'd like to think the Playstation could be described, not just out of romantic nostalgia, but historic fact, as the centre of the universe at that time.
I don't necessarily mean to suggest Sony were secretly pulling the world's strings like a dog in a UFO ending, but there was a definite energy about the period that seemed to congregate around the circular lid of the Playstation console.

Cheesy Eurodance music videos reflected a literal influence from the growing excitement of 3D gaming, but this "energy" wasn't restricted to the peroxide-frosted ravers looking at the world through orange tinted lenses. The proliferation of the PSX in it's mid-life meant connecting with a vast range of people, interests, and brands. It was becoming as much an icon of high fashion as it was family-friendly home entertainment. It was all things, to all people.

Sponsored in part by the growing accessibility of the internet, various topics of interest were able to expand well beyond their niche audiences.
The Playstation created an interactive discussion with licensed gaming properties that scattered growing trends around the globe, personally inducting fans through an exciting exchange of information. The early WWF releases and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater remain bold examples of how the world consumed entertainment during this time.

A decade later, the experimentation and excitement of the PSX era can still be felt.
The legacy of this period might not be entirely positive, particularly as profitable properties attempt to hold on to their former glory through conservative business practises counter-intuitive to the era that defined them.

The PSX was a development of technology that invigorated gaming and connected with a world that was striving for something new. It was the mainstream induction of gaming in ways Generation X had always imagined, allowing the practise to enter homes across the globe. It was an important time in entertainment history. I miss it.

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8988149

Musi(c.)PSX: Breathe (1996)

Sony's Playstation console was first released in Japan in December of 1994. A year later, it spread across the globe, leading to it's eventual assimilation into modern living. The console was officially discontinued by Sony in 2006, but began a process of phasing out with the 2000 release of the Playstation2. Known in it's early years colloquially as the PSX, the console was characterised by a slick attitude that met modern gamers on varying levels, boasting releases like Wipeout, which fused electronic music culture with the gaming experience. This post is a celebration of that time. Music circa (c.) the PSX.

The Prodigy - Breathe (1996)

I'm not sure I could think of a song more anthemic to the era than this one.
A bit like Keith Flint's misappropriation as the lead-man behind Liam Howlett's The Prodigy, I could probably make a vague connection between this song's presence in the era, and my eventual purchase of a PSX in '97.

After doing the Master System and Genesis thing in the years prior, it was a logical progression to look forward to the Sega Saturn. It wasn't that I had anything against Nintendo, but with it's clunky handling and ugly red hues, it just stood to reason that the brand was the lesser option for spoon fed windowlickers. The 64 didn't show up until 1996, but like most Nintendo consoles that followed, it was fast a non-issue, worthy of note only for a small handful of familiar releases.

Familiarity was definitely a factor in this new age of console gaming, but what quickly became apparent was that this was unlike any generation before it. Genres that had previously been restricted to unfeasible dimensions exploded in ways only possible on machines that boasted 3D design across their line-up. Everything old was new again, and decisions now more than ever had to be made based on brand new available information.

Platformers and fighting games had been deal-makers in the 2D era, but as important as they still were, suddenly a good racing game had it's place. Never before on home consoles had the thrill of racing opponents in a match of speed and skill been so thrilling. The illusion of movement was transferred from scrolling backgrounds to realistically manoeuvring vehicles, and the results were electrifying. Wipeout -- a game I'll mention often -- played a major hand in veering a Virtua Eye for a Console Guy away from the Sega, over to the new challenger.

In those early days accessibility gave the PSX a slight edge, but as my world was changing in 1997, a new friend's enthusiasm for the Playstation made understanding it's range that much easier.

With the sounds of Breathe echoing throughout a period where all bets were off, the then upcoming sequel to Sony's combat racer, Twisted Metal, somehow emerged as one of several straws that broke the camel's back. It was as if the grungy BPM of Keith Flint and Prodigy were beating in time with the punk-clown symbol of Twisted Metal. The time for a decision had finally arrived and there was only one possible answer: Sony's "PSX" -- the Playstation.

Through the PSX came several years of enjoyment and exploration.
The Saturn faded into obscurity, and that PSX loving friend drifted into the post-Nirvana punk that permeated through the era, but our overlap was defined by the versatility and excitement of the Playstation. It was the race to the year 2000, when humanity was at it's most excited and ambitious. It was the culmination of video game theory and the troubleshooting execution of everything we had imagined. It was an exciting time. I miss it.

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8987663

AdVantage Point: X-Men Mutant Academy 2 (2001)

Give an idiot a scanner and a comic book, and let him to pick out all the advertisements for video games.
This is AdVantage Point -- a chance to document the winding timeline of comics/gaming history as it was canonized by the adverts. Musings, rantings, observations, stream of consciousness.

 

Marvel's most marketed merry mutant, Wolverine, returns to big screens and gaming consoles, not just in a movie game tie-in, but also the reissued downloadable release of the 2D fighting classic, Marvel versus Capcom 2!

The popular fighter marked the culmination of a long association between Marvel and Capcom which saw multiple iterations of the formula, building on the original 1994 release, X-Men: Children of the Atom -- the game that presumably validated a string of subsequent "2.5D" fighting games released by Activision.

Writing Secret Wars on Infinite Earths, I know as well as anyone just how much of a superhero's time is spent fighting. I mean, sure, that's just part of the indulgent orgy of the Roman concept of beautiful iconoclastic people smashing into each other in a literal expression of metaphorical ideals. It makes sense!
What hasn't made sense, to me, however, is the sheer volume of fighting games we've now seen with superheroes in them.

Yes, fighting is a large aspect of the superhero super-genre, but I'm not sure what lining the characters up on a two-dimensional plane does to lure so many fans. I suppose the license offered by their well known superpowers grants a sense of acceptance that the martial arts-based genre might otherwise struggle to exceed, but I'm sure that's not the only reason. I guess it's more to do with a mindless acceptance -- which isn't inherently a bad thing!

It does, however, bring me back to the grinding dissatisfaction that can be felt when looking at the demands of contemporary gamers. Granted, the games that have framed this reference today come from this decade, but their self-imposed limitations are owing in part to technological limitations that made a history of simplistic gaming palatable to otherwise discerning consumers.

As much as Wolverine's recent outings have defied the fact -- the beauty of superheroes is that they partake in ideas and concepts much larger than themselves. Corporate superheroes are more than just their local associations. They are pieces of an entire universe filled with seventy years of rich history and information and ideas and story. Story being the driving motivation behind even the some of stupidest superhero comics.

I believe strongly that franchises like Street Fighter, Tekken, and to a lesser extent, Mortal Kombat, have all failed to fully realise their story-driven conceptual potential.
That said, even I can admit that the two-plane fighting genre doesn't really lend itself to the mass exploration that more interactive genres offer. It is a simple exercise in besting an opponent, and while some assemblance of story can be well insert into that model (ie; X-Men: Next Dimension), it doesn't communicate as naturally as the platform or action-adventure genres that superheroes also populate.

Superheroes are inherently suited to video games.
Maybe their popularity in fighting games is simply a facet of that inevitable association.

That inevitable association offers a nice closing point to this streaming rant.
Like most other instalments of the AdVantage Point, we observe a commercial that is obviously advertising an established brand to an audience probably already familiar with the topic. I can't help but think of a discussion I had with someone working in the industry - at Acclaim, if memory serves - about the difficulties of ever actually introducing something new to an industry making most of it's money off of established brands.

The Mutant Academy advert (and game) not only borrow the well established iconography of the comics and cartoons (which were still fresh enough in memory in 2001), while also borrowing from the recently successful 2000 first feature film. The advert recalls the popular fight between Wolverine and Mystique in the first film, which established an association that had otherwise been incidental, until that point. Mystique's film persona also worked it's way into the game itself, making a traditionally uninvolved character a more present offensive force.

Mutant Academy really wasn't anything special as a game, but probably served it's purpose.
Recalling recent apathy from gamers who have apparently come to associate superhero games with a similar negativity to their film tie-in cousins, I have to say I kind of understand. This goes against character for me, as I would otherwise thing of the many positive examples of superheroes in video games. A natural transition that's been in play since the beginning of gaming time.

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8987538

Musi(c.)PSX: Born Slippy .NUXX (1995)

Sony's Playstation console was first released in Japan in December of 1994. A year later, it spread across the globe, leading to it's eventual assimilation into modern living. The console was officially discontinued by Sony in 2006, but began a process of phasing out with the 2000 release of the Playstation2. Known in it's early years colloquially as the PSX, the console was characterised by a slick attitude that met modern gamers on varying levels, boasting releases like Wipeout, which fused electronic music culture with the gaming experience. This post is a celebration of that time. Music circa (c.) the PSX.

Underworld - Born Slippy .NUXX (1995)

In the interest of trying to make use of this blog, without forcefully contributing to the glut with more of the same, I look back on a time I have great appreciation for. It was a time when gaming was part of the pop culture zeitgeist in an assimilative way. In many ways I believe the PSX was the console that gave gaming to the masses and finally confirmed to anyone uncertain that this was a pasttime to be enjoyed by all.

Bursting onto the scene with a bold step toward multimedia entertainment and modern 3D console gaming, the PSX was more than just a platform. It's wide range of titles were enfused with a chic lost on mainstream gamers who now clamber backward to the likes of the Wii. It was a console reaching for a future that culminated in the PS2, more thrilling in it's chase of what was to come, than the malaise of it's established successor.

Music was so much a part of my time with the PSX.
I listened to the Wipeout games as much as I played them. When I wasn't doing that, I was soaking in some of the similar music of the time, whilst playing other titles. The PSX was a Silver Age for video gaming. A time of hope, imagination, excitement, experimentation. I miss it.

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8987356

AdVantage Point: Wolverine Adamantium Rage (1994)

Give an idiot a scanner and a comic book, and let him pick out all the advertisements for video games.
This is AdVantage Point -- a chance to document the winding timeline of comics/gaming history as it was canonized by the adverts. Musings, rantings, observations, advertisements.

With the arrival of May comes the moderately anticipated release of X-Men Origins: Wolverine in cinemas, and on game consoles, worldwide. The dual release ensures those who are lazy, disinterested, or illiterate, can finally learn the secret history of the much marvelled mutant.

When it comes to slashing claws, berzerker barrages, and gravelly brooding, few stalwarts of the medium can rival the iconic X-Man. With a well seasoned traveller in the realm of video games under their wing, Raven Software could've easily slackened off in the comfort of knowing they were part of a multimedia sure-thing. Instead, they went the extra mile to ensure their Wolverine game could stand-out in the crowd, attaching themselves to the violent origins of a character who, despite having six inch blades sticking out of his hands, is all too often pacified by kid-friendly ratings.

It's undeniable that Raven have pushed the graphical boundaries to match-up with the dreamy human pectacular that is the film's star, Hugh "Huge" Jackman, but unfortunately, that itself brings with it it's own baggage.

By tying in to the film Raven instantly bought in to a brand that was ready to be exploited.
While the filmic Wolverine offers a gritty hyper-realistic platform upon which the Wolverine game could be designed, the militant recreation, though conceivably palatable to mainstream gaming audiences, leaves little to inspire future generations.

Today's feature ad isn't entirely dissimilar from the 2009 release.
Now fifteen years old; Adamantium Rage pits Wolverine against a host of villains familiar to the decade, such as Bloodscream, Cyber, Albert the robo-clone, and Psi-Borg, as well as enduring mainstays like, Sabretooth, Lady Deathstrike, and the Hellfire Club. Unfortunately, these mid-nineties references drag the title down in a similar fashion to Origins, bogging the game down in less than intriguing elements from the heroic canon. Also like 2009's game is the awfully generic surroundings Wolverine is thrust into as he grapples with grossly powerful enemies, unremarkable level designs, grubby graphics, and surprisingly clunky controls.

In the modern era, you can at least be thankful that the mass slaughter of 2009's bland villains will come much easier; the overall quality of the visuals will be improved; and you won't have to see Elsie Dee at any point -- the hilariously named exploding little-girl-cyborg friend of Albert.

While ties to the film franchise are likely to muddy the connections between Origins' story and the facts of the thirty-plus year canon; Origins will benefit, like the film, from an era where the once legendary mysteries of Wolverine's past have been put to bed.
The false memories that once plagued the character with nauseating repetition now give way to decades of history as the immortal mutant walks a path of relative immortality thanks to his mutant healing factor. This history contributes to revealing the titular origins, whilst meandering into other recent revelations, like the existent of other instalments of the Weapon Plus program, into which James "Logan" Howlett was submitted in it's tenth (Weapon X) iteration. This was the process famously revealed to have grafted the unbreakable adamantium metal to his skeleton -- which included boney retractable claws!

This composite history established over the past three decades comes together as a glorious whole.
If you've read this blog, you know I'm a story guy, and from that perspective, it's pleasant that there can be some conceptual spine to a narrative that features FMV cut scenes and a handful of guest stars from the film (Sabretooth, Deadpool, Gambit) and others, like the robot-hunting Sentinels, whose giant-sized robotic proportions were always too financially unviable to make it to the big screen.

Where does this stream of consciousness take us?
Well, I'm going to introduce a third-act plot twist -- the greatest comic book game known to man.

Though graphically superior in terms of it's visual fidelity and violence, Origins can't hold a candle to Adamantium Rage's mid-nineties contemporary, X-Men 2: Clone Wars.

While playable characters included Cyclops, Gambit, Beast, Psylocke, and Nightcrawler, the X-sequel boasted some impressive Shinobi III-esque SEGA gameplay, an expansive list of tough-but-fun levels, and a narrative that invited an A-list parade of villains [The Hand, Master Mold, Magneto, Apocalypse] before finishing with the titular menace of the Phalanax, made this one of the best games around!

Wolverine, complete with functioning healing factor (at lower health levels), and everready claws, was easily the most playable character on the list! Perfect for platforming speedruns, Wolverine embodied what was great about the game, putting cumbersome alternatives to bloody shame.

Unfortunately, licensing likely prevents the underrated classic getting a digital second-life.
Such issues haven't kept Wolverine out of the downloadable circuit, however. Capcom have just announced a digital release for the much-loved beat 'em up, Marvel versus Capcom 2. Worthy of note for it's depiction of the character in the 2D fighting arena, it's not only a classic triumph for Capcom, but hopefully a symbol of hope for anyone keen to find more colourful and traditional outlets for Wolverine.

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8987280

AdVantage Point: Catwoman (2004)

Give an idiot a scanner and a comic book, and let him to pick out all the advertisements for video games.
This is AdVantage Point -- a chance to document the winding timeline of comics/gaming history as it was canonized by the adverts. Musings, rantings, observations, advertisements.

 

From games crossing over in to comics [ie; Mirror's Edge], we move to the other side of the corporate licensing relationship - the tie-in game. The upcoming Wolverine release (in conjunction with X-Men Origins: Wolverine) has prompted a whole lot of huffing and puffing about games licensed from film releases.

For one reason or another, industries with large groups of fans seem to be particularly good at spreading ill conceived rumours. In the case of license derivative games vs series native to the medium, there's certainly a compelling argument to say the former doesn't produce as exciting results as the latter. Does that result make a rule of thumb? Of course not.

Catwoman kinda represents the bottom of the conceptual barrel.
Consider it irony that I'm using this particular advert in a discussion that's intended to be confrontingly positive. In fact, I might even admit that it requires some level of naivety to rebuke popular theories such as this one. The evidence for cross-promotional franchise games resulting in anything but a steaming ball of infamy, is pretty overwhelming. Particularly if one stretches oneself to consider the endless glut of games not readily available in a favourable lexicon. Games dwelling deep within the bowels of retail, residing at the bottoms of bargain store bins, and post offices.

"Catwoman", as a film first, represents the extreme negatives of borrowed source materials.
Brand association ultimately undermines much of the project as it deviates wildly from a character who, at the time, sustained one of the most acclaimed on-going superhero series on shelves.
This was a character who should have represented great strength and intrigue, but instead, devolved into silliness as nauseating camera whips gave way to a macrocosmic expansion of an utterly underwhelming tale of insincere empowerment through corporate neo-fascist perfume hazed crud. Far from anything Darwyn Cooke, Ed Brubaker, or Cameron Stewart energized.

Such deviations should hold importance to the gaming industry, which, through it's large fanbase, has in many ways forgotten it's value as a story-driven medium. The attraction for a gamer like me will always be the same sorts of things that attract me to comics and films. The three mediums all share much in common, despite any resistances expressed by the uninspired masses who will at times proclaim one product transcends the prospects of adaptation in other fields [a fact thankfully and publicly refuted by the  Watchmen film, despite it's problems].

A great strength film or comics properties should immediately bring with them is a rich tapestry of characters, locations, and plot points. They are the ultimate antithesis of the generic grey gloom that hangs over gaming's popular genres today, possessing decades of experience and characterization, which should ooze from every polygonal pixelated orifice.

With such a thorough conceptual foundation, superheroes in particular lend themselves to a video game setting. From the earliest traditions of hero-based gaming, there has been a brotherly love between the mediums of gaming and superhero comics. Be it the ability to jump, punch, or fly through strange environments, it's all always been superheroes. That relationship was very literally solidified in the very early days of this young medium called "video games."

While AdVantage Point hasn't deviated so far back, commercial advertising of games in comics began a long time ago, in issues far far away. The 1980s saw ideas sent both ways, advertising in comics, and games like early Spider-man adventures, on home computers.

Unfortunately, it's this maturity and experience that appears to be lacking in Wolverine.
Unlike Catwoman, this conversion of character doesn't appear to suffer from the same wild deviations. Instead, much like the recent  Chun-Li film, the issue here is of under representation, rather than "mis-."

Instead of taking full control of the vast forty-year history surrounding the X-Men universe, and the thirty years of Wolverine; this game dwells on more contemporary conventional concerns. Game mechanics lending themselves to the bloodthirsty nature of the character have overwhelmed a property that should have done exactly that, with the motivation of vivid visuals and a sense of informed knowing.

As the gaming industry matures as a business, we see the increasing dominance of sequels and serialized series. As this seeming inevitability continues, the wisdom of a seventy-year old medium like comics becomes increasingly relevant. While gaming dwells on the distractions of improving technologies, the obselence of this obsession draws ever nearer, evident not only in the peaking technologies of consoles like Xbox and Playstation, but also the redundancy delivered by the public's resounding approval of Nintendo's Wii, which is graphically far inferior.

Looking to a lasting model of gaming, the power of the sequential adventure, and the serialized experience gamers can have alongside powerful characters, becomes the obvious way forward for companies intent on controlling their properties. Even in the futuristic event of an industry-wide adoption of MMO strategies, the user-generated experience has the potential to lull into the grinding formula that detaches many mainstream gamers (such as myself) from games like World of Warcraft. Instead, it's the serialized contributions, such as events contrived in Matrix Online, that propose a far more intriguing benefit. A benefit that boils gaming back down to it's traditional elements of the possibility to interact with fantastical scenarios, characters, and universes.

I'm dismayed by the current trend, particularly amongst younger gamers, to desire the omission of plot.
Even if that desire is a slight misconception.



As X-Men Origins: Wolverine passes us by, we now look forward on the comics tie-in calendar, toward Batman: Arkham Asylum, which promises a script by popular comics/TV writer, Paul Dini.
Sharing it's name with the acclaimed Grant Morrison "graphic novel," and starring a character whose greatest exploits have easily rivalled the much-praised Watchmen, this should be not only the ultimate outing for the Dark Knight Detective in games, but also a bold step forward in representing not only strong foundations in gameplay, but also conceptual adaptation and storytelling.

To the Catwoman ad featured -- it's actually not bad.
Far exceeding anything in the film, the commercial suffers the same obscenities of that costume and Halle Berry's most ferret-faced moment, but -- the black on white poses a graphic statement I myself am quite fond of. Not only that, but the game also offers something resembling in-game screenshots - always appreciated.

From this dark public moment in licensing history, we've derived a generally positive statement.
Sure, it's easy to sit and make snide remarks about the atrocities of film, comics, and gaming, but I've tried to avoid that today in an effort to refute the canonized theory that these games must be bad. Any game, comic, or film is just as capable of being a masterpiece as any other. There may be tools available to each that set the mediums apart, but anything one can do, the other can do just as well.

I'd like to think one day, when this is popularized, we won't have to deal with the underwhelming prospects of adaptations and licensed products that fail to invest in what made them viable properties to begin with. Unfortunately, both sides of the corporate system will need changes of minds to make that happen.

Fingers crossed for the future!

 

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8987039

AdVantage Point: Mirror's Edge (2008)

Give an idiot a scanner and a comic book, and let him to pick out all the advertisements for video games.
This is AdVantage Point -- a chance to document the winding timeline of comics/gaming history as it was canonized by the adverts. Musings, rantings, observations, advertisements.

   

 

From a series of games promoting established brands with anticipated install bases, to one of the most exciting new properties to emerge from this generation of consoles. Mirror's Edge marks one of the glaring downsides to being a gamer not ready to invest in a current console.

In the comics direct market, the presence of licensed video game properties continues to grow.
Prominent series exist for Street Fighter, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Halo, World of Warcraft, and several others, including the exciting parkour future shock that Mirror's Edge represents.
The six issue series is published by DC imprint (subsidiary), Wildstorm, who are not connected to the famous DCU icons. With cartoon stylized artwork by Matthew Dow Smith, the action is overseen by writer from the game, Rhianna Pratchett, who has also worked on a handful of other game titles.

With this in mind, it's probably not surprising to learn that this double page advert comes from a DC comic book. I'm not entirely sure that the game hasn't been advertised by rival publishers, but you can assume that the presence of this dynamic double-page spread is the benefit of a deal between the cross promotional brands, playing in to the use of the license.

It's a great advert!
In stark contrast to the advertisement for TNA Impact! that focused on reiterating the personalities associated with the brand; Mirror's Edge offers something far more specific to the game itself.

Like most contemporary adverts, it lacks any kind of screenshot to preview the game, but by utilizing the same stunning CG featured in cover art for the game, we get a stylish image that does actually communicate most of what we need to know. The parkour-style running gameplay is pretty easily expressed through the dynamic image of lead-protagonist, Faith Connors, skirting the edge of a building, while enemies from the game appear across the two page expanse.

Really significant to the game itself, as well as it's promotion, are the clean lines, and ultra-modern stark colour palette that make Mirror's Edge instantly recognisable. It's a visual design sense that creates a brand for the game, consistent throughout all aspects, including the character, who is best glimpsed as legs and arms in the shifting aspect of the first-person view.
It's an aesthetic that speaks to a gamer like me, who really misses the Euro modern techno-pop aspects of the Playstation era. It's the kind of game that shares that immersive level of cool that the Wipeout series had, as much fun to experience and observe, as it is to play.

Of the six adverts featured so far in these laboured almost-daily features, this is probably my favourite.
As interesting as some of the others might be, this strikes me as the perfect balance between communication of the product, composition of the image, and sheer dynamism. Flipping through the pages of inked and coloured comic book artwork, this blindingly stark image with it's vivid reds pops exactly the way the game does. Everything you need to know to inform a purchase, is there.

The only regrets I have regarding Mirror's Edge are that this couldn't have been secured as a Sony-exclusive title that reinvigorated the Playstation brand and attitude. That, and that I don't have any of the currently available consoles (or a viable PC) to play this.

Has the cross-promotion of video games into comics paid any dividends?
Honestly, I don't know. There's been a suggestion that UDON's efforts with Street Fighter have found a market outside the direct comics business, but I don't know how accurate that is. Looking around 1up as I do occasionally, I certainly haven't encountered any awareness about these kinds of tie-ins, aside from occasional references in discussions about franchises.

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8986737

AdVantage Point: TNA Impact! (2008)

Give an idiot a scanner and a comic book, and let him to pick out all the advertisements for video games.
This is AdVantage Point -- a chance to document the winding timeline of comics/gaming history as it was canonized by the adverts. Musings, rantings, observations, advertisements.

 

Yesterday's entry, (featuring Halo Wars), glanced the subject of advantageous ambiguity in advertising. Looking back, it strikes me that all of the adverts we've featured, so far, have had one aesthetic commonality: they're all advertising brands assured a largely familiarized audience.

TNA Impact! marked the first video game entry for prowrestling's current number-two promotion.
Much like Halo Wars; Impact! does very little to indicate the qualities of the game in the print advertisement, instead emphasizing the personality of the brand, while also using the space to promote the shows the game is based on. Given TNA's prospective budget, it's not a bad idea to try to juggle as many objectives as possible, but is it really doing the job?

It's popular belief that some advertising needn't necessarily sell a product, but rather, simply keep it in the conscious and subconscious mindspace of consumers. Regular reiteration through strong advertising almost certainly has an effect on a potential buyer. If the brand is already in the frame of reference of the consumer, they're sure to subconsciously recognise brand association. If any TNA fan wasn't already aware of the game, then featuring three of the franchise's biggest stars; Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe; is sure to remind them during respective appearances.

Obviously the star appeal of headlining talent goes beyond those already familiar with it.
Kurt Angle shot to stardom after his 2000 debut in WWE, becoming one of the most decorated champions the company has ever known. The Olympic Gold Medallist shocked the industry when, in 2006, he left World Wrestling Entertainment, only to defect to their nearest rival, bringing with him one of the most recognised names in the business. It's not a terribly complex principle, then, when TNA promote the Kurt Angle brand, building their own association while perhaps luring fans from across the pond. The concept of association was there when Angle was first recruited by WWE, and now passes to TNA, and their new game.

A lot of fuss has been made about the Nintendo Wii's expansion of the gaming market.
While impressive, this does reemphasise the point that conventional gaming, and licensed material, is valuable for it's captive audience. Penetration into broader markets is highly unlikely, which is why very little time might be wasted on soft selling to new markets. Again, this is an advert directed at people who already know it's meaning, and that is why it's most striking elements are relatively unexplained.

Impact! follows on from a long tradition of prowrestling video games.
For a medium built on testosterone and competition, it's hardly surprising that interactive power fantasies have proved popular with it's audience. A resurgence of popularity in the late nineties saw wrestling capitalize on expanding technologies in gaming and online networking. Wrestling remains one of the most prevalent subjects on the internet, and the video games have contributed strongly, birthing an expansive and fiercely loyal niche market of gamers. "Create-A-Wrestler" formulas have to be one of the strongest examples of user-generated material in games, popularized in the late nineties by WWF: Warzone, it's sequel, WWF: Attitude, and a series of games released on the Nintendo 64, including cult favourite, No Mercy.

The Smackdown! series of games, originally exclusive to Playstation, have become the brand to beat. TNA Impact! goes up against the latest in the series of annual instalments, now featured across several platforms as Smackdown! vs RAW.

For the game itself, TNA Impact! attempts to rise to the challenge.
Innovative and popular talent, AJ Styles, was promoted as a prominent contributor to the mechanics and concepts of the game. TNA's unique match types and in-ring conceits are recreated for the game, along with all the visual trimmings that make prowrestling the spectacle of sports entertainment that it is. Unfortunately, Styles's influence can only inspire so much in the fairly mediocre game engine, however.

Given the business direction Midway has taken over the past six months, it seems increasingly likely that Impact! might gain infamy as one of the company's last productions. On the flipside, the footnote in wrestling will hopefully be a little more positive for the game's introduction of a new wrestling gimmick -- Suicide!

Despite channelling superheroes in the most hokey of ways, the skull-faced vigilante wrestler made the transition from in-game storyline, to life, bursting into TNA on a flying fox from the ceiling. Suicide's identity, for the time being, remains a mystery, but his unique role in the TNA Impact! game has to be one of the most admirable risks taken by both parties. Capitalizing on TNA's more receptive audience to a puroresu style clashed with US prowrestling drama, it's a fun concept that brings something to both sides of the licensing agreement.

TNA fans are bound to be very forgiving of the fairly uninspired track the game goes down.
This in itself could be another reason not to try to promote the in-game material, as much as pushing the brand of TNA, and it's cult of personality.

 

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8986585

AdVantage Point: Halo Wars (2009)

Give an idiot a scanner and a comic book, and let him to pick out all the advertisements for video games.
This is AdVantage Point -- a chance to document the winding timeline of comics/gaming history as it was canonized by the adverts. Musings, rantings, observations.

 

If memory serves me, on the 04/17 episode of ListenUp [aka; 4 guys 1up] the lads turned their attentions to promotion of Halo Wars with the inference being, unwitting consumers might be lured in by the ambiguity of reference to the game's RTS format. I found this particularly interesting because, as you might have noticed, these types of games have very little to do with me.
I'm the type of "gamer" nobody seems to be talking about in the battle of casual VS hardcore. The one who still doesn't know which console is for him. The one who got left behind.

I don't really see the attraction in the endless line-up of shooting games that seem to typify the modern gamer and the Xbox 360. If everyone were like me, the PS3 would probably have found it's market place with another round of tried and true exclusives, and the Xbox would be sold almost exclusively to rednecks enthused by a newly designed union flag motif.

I'm going to be honest -- I don't really know what Halo is.
I mean, sure, I get the gist of it. There are marine looking blokes, some of whom apparently have names and bad ass machismo, and they use their 'tude to fight aliens in a sci-fi setting. I know there are guns involved, I know multi-player is embarrassingly popular, I know it can be played alone, I know Brian Bendis can be a mediocre writer, and I know some of my friends keep insisting it's the greatest game in the universe.

Rather than expand my basic knowledge with a few clicks toward YouTube, I thought I'd maintain my ignorance long enough to share it with you in this contrived manner. Why? Because there can be no better acid test than a man who knows very little.

Like most shooting franchises these days, the aesthetics of Halo appear pretty standard.
I don't doubt that the specifics of every corner and bulge communicate something thrilling and familiar to the seasoned Halo fan, but for me, it's enough to indicate the basic premise of the series.
I believe the artwork featured is also the cover of the game, which is important to note, because it's the final piece of information offered to any casual acquaintance picking it up off the shelf.

Something that strikes me immediately about this advert is the multiplication of "units."
The depth of the image and the alignment of the hero characters communicates something very specific. It isn't artful enough to be set dressing. This is an image immediately alluding to the fact that this isn't a one-man quest in a larger world, but rather, a game of many. If I didn't know an RTS, I might not be immediately receptive to that, but the allusion is there, none the less.

In terms of marketing, the text in the advert also helps communicate the significance of various types of soldiers, which, I assume, do not have such vital distinction in the FPS instalments.

Listening to the quotes on ListenUp while I'm writing this, I have to at least acknowledge that the reference seems more to be tilted toward a deliberate ambiguity in the promotion. In that respect, it's also worth acknowledging the potential ambiguity of the information communicated. At the end of the day, websites like this, and the promotion of popular series, usually provide enthusiasts with enough information to make informed decisions.

Me? I couldn't give a crap about Halo. Wars, or otherwise.
However, if someone possessing my level of disinterest and ignorance can know what to expect from Halo Wars, I think it's safe to say most purchases listed were well informed.

 

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8986501

AdVantage Point: Dragonball Evolution (2009)

Give an idiot a scanner and a comic book, and let him to pick out all the advertisements for video games. This is AdVantage Point -- a chance to document the winding timeline of comics/gaming history as it was canonized by the adverts. Musings, rantings, observations.

 

A non-descript dictionary defines "evolution" as; Any gradual process of growth or development.
You and I, without any predilection toward polite accuracy, would probably refer to those "developments" as improvements over the last generation. In this respect, the long awaited foray into live-action for Akira Toriyama's popular manga/anime series, Dragonball, has been unfortunately named.

Without a shred of discernible irony, Namco-Bandai wheel out the latest revision to their long running Dragonball [Z] fighting spin-offs, suffering two-fold for the Evolution title.
The PSP exclusive deserves perspective for the limitations of the device, but inevitably suffers the same ironies as the film. One can't help but think back to the farcical digitized era of the mid-nineties, where incestuous cross-promotion like this might've at least been in the company of similarly stupid stunts, ala; Street Fighter: The Movie: The Game.

As the 2000's reach their conclusion, Dragonball fanboys have a multitude of iterations on the Budokai series to satisfy all their fighting fanboy needs. Only the clinically obsessed of fanboy completists will feel compelled to round out their collection with this release. Paling in comparison to any of it's more canonically faithful predecessors, DB Evolution appears to be a moderately decent PSP fighter without even the quantifying trimmings that make each Budokai revision vaguely plausible. Also absent, of course, is the simple stylistic flair of the Toriyama style, or the variations of flashing energy and lights that made the fighter unique.

Obviously, the target of any movie tie-in game is to capitalize on the success of the film.
Kids in particular are likely to want to jump deep into their realm of familiarity. However, in the case of Dragonball Evolution, one wonders if marrying the contractual obligations with something more familiar to the hardcore audience, might not have been a wise move.
A contemporary reference might be the popular X-Men and Wolverine games that spun out of that movie dynasty, capitalizing on decades of continuity to attract nugget-seeking fans.

Of course, when it comes to the less narratively driven exploits of fighting games, those fan luring easter eggs leave you with a predicament similar to the Budokai franchise.
The comics franchises have done well to progress their instalments with what resembles a new plot for each game, but in the fiercely dedicated arena of Dragonball fandom, the Budokai series has embarked on a periodical process of refinement, releasing much the same game each time, albeit with incrementalized additions of obscure characters, and tweaked skills.

Street Fighter IV inspired a resurgence of interest in the classic franchise, but in it's execution, it largely reverted alterations made in the 1997 SFIII, returning to a more classic approach. Sure, it's an effective and intelligent decision, but lives or dies by the decade gap between the last version of SFIII (Third Strike in 1999), and the excitement of rediscovering a tweaked classic.

DBE might be the first substantial deviation for the fight franchise in quite some time, but I'm not sure there's reason to care. After yesterday's lamenting upon the death of Midway and the poor reputation of Mortal Kombat, I think we can all agree, this is something much worse. Even with the lure of playing as a Hawaiian shirted Chow Yun Fat!

 

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8986330

AdVantage Point: Mortal Kombat II (1994)

Give an idiot a scanner and a comic book, and let him to pick out all the advertisements for video games. This is AdVantage Point -- a chance to document the winding timeline of comics/gaming history as it was canonized by the adverts. Musings, rantings, observations.

 

You know you're in trouble when suddenly you have to actually mention your games by name in order to promote them. My, how the mighty have fallen.

Midway's financial woes have become a very public battle, but in today's ad feature, we look back to an era of decadence when both the troubled gaming publisher, and the comic book industry as a whole, were at their financial heights.

I equate being a Mortal Kombat fan to very similar to supporting the local team while they're at the bottom of the ladder. As a fan, I know their strengths and potential better than anyone, but as we suffer the indignity of each defeat, I gradually become one their greatest critics.

Unsophisticated fighting techniques and the recurring naff of simplistic designs has earned the Mortal Kombat series it's fair share of dismissal by critics, but if it comes down to it, I hope Midway can negotiate the sale of the IP to a company that will nurture and accept the established canon of this misunderstood 1990's dinosaur.

Behind the sound and fury of idiots throwing spears and fireballs at each other, is a beat 'em up with a soul worth stealing. As Tekken and Street Fighter roll out their latest instalments in the saga of sunsets and proposing sumo wrestlers, Mortal Kombat waits eagerly to follow up on the apocalyptic cliff-hanger of it's last game in the core series, Armageddon.
While fans close to the series have been critical of Armageddon's inconclusive ending(s), it's fair to say most complaints stem from the sheer volume of possibilities that are left open following the game's narratively driven action-adventure mode ("Konquest").

As a small time comics writer, I often regard MK with envious eyes, salivating at the prospect of getting the opportunity to tell a streamlined sequential interpretation of their saga. Unfortunately, for whatever reason, despite having an endless supply of nuggets of story, the games do continuously fail to live up to themes of characterization, concept, and design.
Sharing much in common with the sequential nature of their comic book counterparts (who they tackled in Mortal Kombat vs DC Universe), the MK characters are established enough to make most blunders forgiveable, but the untapped potential of the brand's long running universe is one of the most concerning aspects of their repeat filrtations with mediocrity.

The heady days of Mortal Kombat II -- the game actually being advertised in the feature page -- are long gone. The step up from the digitized 1992 arcade beat' em up, to it's 1993 sequel, was significant. The MK style was arguably defined in this sequel, taking it away from it's Enter the Dragon-inspired Hong Kong aesthetic, to develop something much more garrish and harmful. Ever more elaborate ways to impale and compress enemies against nearby furnishings emerged from the sequel as everything started getting very purple and alien. The first game's popular martial arts archetypes were quickly joined by bizarre newbies like; Mileena, Baraka, Kintaro, and Shao Kahn, while the originals enjoyed feature tweaks that played up their sinister characters and backstory.

For many, the excitement of the atmospheric fantasy makeover for the franchise remains it's most glorious moment. Alongside 2002's reintroduction of the series, Deadly Alliance, it is arguably the most significant inclusion from a developing conceptual concern.

The popularity of the series and excitement of it's iconic evolution no doubt made it's transition to consoles all the easier to promote. With a year behind them, and the establishment of MKII's attract title screen in arcades, the use of little more than lightning, was probably enough to whip bloodlusting youngsters into an absolute frenzy. I know I was there, mashing buttons on the Genesis as I bought into a fiction ready to rival my favourite superheroes (who themselves were going through a violently stupid stage, at the time).

New rumors of the MK team breaking away from Midway to resume activity elsewhere, makes for a compelling case for a Mortal Kombat sale. It's hard to imagine talking about the series without expecting the same in-game approach and laboured promotion by series co-creator, Ed Boon.

At the first sign of trouble, I have to admit, I felt a little bit excited about the prospect of change.
With Itagaki floating formless in the ether, I can't help but imagine the possibilities as I reference various famous comic book reinventions perpetrated by similarly notorious figures who got a hold of franchise icons (see; Watchmen, Dark Knight Returns, etc). What might a Japanese developer, particularly one of Itagaki's style, do with the relatively conventional series? For that matter, what about a buy-out by Tecmo? As a barely discussed implausibility, I kinda like imagining a Ninja Gaiden co-op starring Ryu Hayabusa and Scorpion against the invading forces of Outworld. Or how about an MK with decent fighting styles that seem relevant to their characters? One can dream!

 

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8986202

AdVantage Point: Street Fighter IV (2009)

Give an idiot a scanner and a comic book, and let him to pick out all the advertisements for video games. This is AdVantage Point -- a chance to document the winding timeline of comics/gaming history as it was canonized by the adverts. Musings, rantings, observations.

 

This quite possibly might be one of the stupidest ideas to hit the 1up.blogs - adverts.
I suppose the beauty of a concept like this, however, is the timeline it will eventually show. Like the sequential medium of comics itself, these advertisements become a timeline of history.

With no real affection for most games currently being advertised, I figured it fitting to start with one of the revival heavyweights. I'd like to say Street Fighter II was right there back at the dawn of capitalism, paving a way for video game advertisements in comics, but let's face it. They'd been around a good decade before that!

It's been great having the Street Fighter franchise active again, not that it ever really went away.
This ad kinda brings back those warm tingly feelings of the early nineties, and I'm sure the neon pink doesn't go completely without credit, for that.

Like most ads, this one sells an established brand, without dwelling too much on the details.
Most of us probably already know enough to decide whether or not we're interested in buying a new Street Fighter, so presumably, it's about awareness and market presence. That said, this has to be one of the very few adverts I've encountered recently that actually goes to the trouble of including screenshots from the actual game. Maybe I'm old fashioned, but that seems like a good idea, to me.

With Street Fighter IV, the visual style of the game was an important selling point. These screens probably don't communicate it's delicate balance between the 2D animation style classic to the series, and it's new 3D potential, but they at least allude to something familiar as well as something new (ie; the hadouken dramatic camera).

I wonder if the appearance of Honda and the bold slogan don't communicate a secondary message to those receptive. For the average reader, the emphasis of Hadouken in the bold statement is enough of a nostalgia grab to warrant attention and reminiscing, but for those many invested in gameplay, it perhaps hints at the developments that have been made in the fight system since the hadouken-squashing Street Fighter III.

It's a little surprising not to see big selling icons like Chun-Li, Guile, and Ken in the advert, but Ryu's probably adequate enough to represent that public face of the series. I'm reminded of the countless discussions about both feature films (1994/2009) and the constant call for Ryu. Honestly, I don't think the wandering world warrior is really that intrinsically significant to any creative endeavour with the franchise, but we haven't exactly had the best opportunity to test that theory.

Interestingly enough, this advert hasn't appeared in UDON's licensed series of comics.
Their role in creating a series that fleshes out the backstory of Street Fighter IV and it's new characters is arguably advertisment enough, and you needn't really try to sell to the audience who's clearly already invested in the brand. I guess you just get used to a complacency of "synergic" association in marketing.

<< AdVantage Point: Mortal Kombat II       [Home]      Unnecessary Explanation >>

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8986141

And Now a Message From the Sponsors...

When I signed up on 1up.com as an avid listener of the podcasts, I'm sure I had some ill conceived notion that I would spontaneously spark an interest in modern games, and start blogging profusely. Alas, with perhaps the rare exception of the odd elaborate insult to the current industry and fanbase, I've done little of that. Instead, most of my posts redirect you toward other venues, where I can be found taking superheroes seriously and generally phoning it in.

I recently noticed that, despite my inactivity, a modest flow of folk were hitting this here blog.
I don't know how, or why, you found your way here, but I have an overwhelming urge to try to make it worth your while, despite my being a total slack and uninspired bastard.

If you've been here before, you probably know me as a comic guy. Fair enough.
You can, after all, find my pseudo-superheros-sports blog at http://secretearths.blogspot.com, and buy my modest writing at http://www.nitelitetheatre.com. The question is, why should any of that even matter to you, the 1up.com reader?

The obvious pop culture significance of superheroes aside, there has to be more. More. More!

Unfortunately, there isn't, so instead of coming up with something really interesting, I thought I'd at least fill the void with some overlapping. Comics and video games do occupy a similar space. The same kinds of people find the same kinds of interests, and so, there's a happy tradition of cross pollonation between the seasoned statesman of the comics industry, and active power fantasy of the video gaming experience, which becomes a sequential format the more it ages.

If I was going to use up UGO's newly acquired webspace with the picture feature, I wanted to have a motivated reason. Thus, in merging my interests, I thought I might share with you some of the adverts that have come to populate the landscape of comic books.

With the death of iconic print rags like EGM, it strikes me that many interested readers might never get to see this facet of the advertising strategum. Honestly, before I considered doing this, I hadn't really noticed just how many gaming adverts there still are! I've already got a nice stack of 2008 and 2009 commercials to share with you, albeit, mostly revolving around bland shooting games I personally couldn't give a rats arse about.

The scanning process has already thrown up it's first intriguing tidbit.
Whilst surveying issues from the past few months, I was surprised to find that it was DC comics who had a far greater share of gaming adverts, dominating the barren House of Ideas. One can note theories of vocational relevance that would explain the loyalties of one related brand, to another, but that might be reading in to it a little bit much.

Never the less, I hope you, the reader, will come to enjoy subsequent features of adverts, and enter a suggestable mindset that will allow me to milk you for sales of my comic(s).

Stay tuned!
Cheers!

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8986134

Rafael Nadal: 2009 Australian Open Champion

Riddle me this, intrepid readers: Which simulation has/will come the farthest?
I think I've found a measure for victory.

Wrestling games: The Kurt Angle victory snot bubble.
Tennis games: Roger Federer post-championship little bitch crying [unlockable win variant].

Or, in this market, am I looking in the wrong direction?
Fortunately for both examples, I think they'd easily make the transition to Mii versions.

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8980073

You stupid fanboy!

Admittedly, sometimes I have to surpress my utter contempt for the unwashed masses because, well, it's just bad business not to. Nobody has any backbone anymore in an environment where the consumer is carefully controlled by pandering corporates to believe they are "king."

Fortunately my latest peeve is one married to an interesting observation of culture.

"Fanboy" is irrevocably attached to the world of comic books, where, at least in the modern age, it is believed to have stemmed. In it's origins, the contemptuous tones gamers associate with the phrase, denoting obsessive qualities, might very well have been there, but the vernacular did not end where it began.

In an industry divided between the two major companies and everything else, it's hardly surprising that a culture of obsessive loyalty to one brand, over the other, has been deeply ingrained in the psyche.
It's this type of mindless appreciation for one brand's content, and the converse disapproval and beratment of all other options, that seems to define the gamers "fanboy."

We have other names in comics, however. Ones that don't interrupt or disturb a sense of friendly fire and/or affection about the term, "fanboy." Particularly for the well adjusted among us, comics fanboys are brothers in arms. Chums with a taste for four-colour culture and all the positives that come with it.
Those other people. The ones who've bought X-Men for thirty years uninterrupted? Those are typically referred to as zombies, or any alternate insults that might come to mind. Wii owners, perhaps? (Haw!)

Comics fans can be as volatile and downright stupid as any other fanbase.
(Anyone coping with the indulgent superheroics of Final Crisis knows all too well about the latter!)
I wonder, however, why it is that the use of the term has diverged so specifically amongst gamers.

I suppose it's (de)evolution into an outright insult could simply be a product of the inherent competitive streak that exists vitally within any gamer. Comics fans butt heads, but probably aren't as specifically trained to be in competition with each other, the afforementioned collector zombies, not withstanding.

Next time you're about to baselessly accuse someone of having a blind bias for one brand, perhaps you might pause to consider the bigger picture. Video games and comics are all part of a rich pop culture tapestry, which, presumably, made the migration of the word so simple. So! Consider the possibility that we're all - each and every one of us, and you yourself - part of the fanboy melting pot.

That, and you might be the raving lunatic with the blindspot.
Because it's our word! Stupid fanboys!!!

- Mike Haseloff
Fanboy of minimal celebrity

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8979875

Wipeout: Style and Substance

WipeoutHD is the final refuge of attractive people interested in playing a game without entering into an online bidding war with middle-aged women under the illusion the Wiimote is a magic wand that will help them shed enough pounds to have tracksuit pants camel toe because they want it. It's a relic of the PSX age, when gaming was sexy, modern, and full of style. It's an echo of a future past.

Sci-fi racer?! Hah!
This isn't Tron! You don't approach Wipeout like your "shooters" or your postitute killing trucking games!
It's about midnight in an apartment full of pale wood and silver, standing next to the TV in a puffy orange vest with spikey frosted hair.
It's about the fashion accessory. The soundtrack, the palette, the design, the brand name.

You don't play Wipeout!
You shift your weight to one side and cock the opposite eyebrow, cutting a graceful curve in the game as if by sheer coincidence.

It's a wave of style and substance...


... and consequently, probably not for Americans. Haw!



Explaining Wipeout; re: LTTP: Wipeout

Blog: Boy meets 1up, boy loses 1up...

What a strange turn of events, it has been!

If you've happened upon this page previously, you probably know me as a comic book fan, and aren't really all that interested in anything I have to say regarding the UGO buy-out. Quite rightly, too.
Only in my own headspace have been a regular at 1up, cheering along or grumbling quietly to myself in disagreement, while tapping at a keyboard, or engaging in some other inane task.

Having militantly listened to 1up podcasts for well over a year, I finally felt it reasonable enough to sign-up, when 1upFM was having download issues (a little over a month ago). It didn't hurt that I'd also come across someone else with similar interests, in the form of fellow Street Fighter fanatic, "BigMex". (Who almost certainly didn't find me via an embarrassing, yet common, Google search ).

I left my heart with the PSX (Playstation), but I've been "gaming" for the better part of twenty years, and fell instantly in love with the first Street Fighter II in arcades.

With that in mind, the shockwave that really hit me, was the fact that EGM is gone.
It seems in an age of digital media, user-generated content, and financial crisis, the sanctity of print materials is constantly under threat. This trend has only enhanced the prestige of brands that have existed for as long as EGM.

The Street Fighter fan in me obviously instantly thinks of "Sheng Long," but as a gamer who spent most of his reading time loitering around Sega and Sony magazines, there aren't many general publications I can name. EGM is one of them.

I'm inclined to consider the twenty-year legacy of a publication bigger than the people that contributed to it, but that's just me. While I haven't been swept up in the community and personal associations, I have come to know and enjoy the voices of the podcasts.
In this respect, it's undeniable that UGO has jettisoned one of the most enjoyable aspects of the site, if not the most profitable. I don't know how receptive some of these folks will be to belated friend requests, but I intend to do my best to follow some of them to their future endeavours. Though very different to me, I have enjoyed the spirit the 1up and EGM staff have conveyed through these meaty slices of audio discussion.

Some of the staff have already made a bloody admirable effort to carry this tradition on!
Like many of you, I've already downloaded the first "Rebel FM" podcast, and have been thoroughly impressed. As much as I enjoyed 1upFM, the first instalment of this spin-off offered a greater diversity of interests, opinions, and discussion that was greatly appreciated.
I'm sure you don't need my endorsement or encouragement, but if you haven't already, you might like to sprint, jog, or saunter, over to Eat. Sleep. Game. where many of the lost, have been found.

I agree, the hierarchy of events is a little conspicuous, but the podcast is fantastic.
Particularly appreciated, a moment of in depth discussion about fighting games (RE: Street Fighter), which, I would selfishly say, was sorely absent from 1upFM and 1up Yours. But I'm not to be trusted.

I'm sure there are more informative or passionate articles around the 1up Blogosphere, but I felt it was about damn time I posted some original content, and maybe made an effort to introduce myself.

We now return you to article teasers from my better known comics blog.
I hope you will buy something. Please.

Original Post: http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8977994

iChart 100: 2008 End

#1 [393] William Ørbit - Cavalleria Rusticana (+1)
#2 [386] William Ørbit - In A Landscape [386] (-1)
#3 [379] Way Out West - Pulse of Life [379] (+1)
#4 [378] CocoRosie - Rainbowarriors [378] (+2)
#5 [371] William Ørbit - Ogive Number I (-2)
#6 [370] Björk - Mouths Cradle (+1)
#7 [367] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Style 3 (+3)
#8 [367] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Bad Dog (-3)
#9 [365] William Ørbit - L'Inverno (-1)
#10 [361] William Ørbit - Triple Concerto (+1)
#11 [358] Thom Yorke - Analyse (-2)
#12 [355] William Ørbit - Xerxes (-)
#13 [348] William Ørbit - Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte (-)
#14 [332] Underworld - Two Months Off (Radio Edit) (+2)
#15 [330] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Style I (-)
#16 [321] Björk - Who is it (Carry my joy on the left, carry my pain on the right) (-2)
#17 [316] William Ørbit - Opus I32 (-)
#18 [304] CoLD SToRAGE - Body in Motion (+4)
#19 [303] Gustav - Genua (+2)
#20 [303] Moby - My Weakness (-2)
#21 [297] Vangelis - Love theme from Bladerunner (-1)
#22 [294] Björk - Submarine (+1)
#23 [290] Intermix - Mantra (+2)
#24 [280] Bodyrox feat. Luciana - Yeah Yeah (D. Ramirez Radio Edit) (-5)
#25 [267] Hot Chip - Over and Over (-1)
#26 [260] Björk - Pleasure is all Mine (+1)
#27 [260] William Ørbit - Adagio for Strings (+4)
#28 [250] UNKLE - Lonely Soul (-)
#29 [249] Björk - Visur Vatnsenda Rosu (-)
#30 [249] Cassius - Toop Toop (-4)
#31 [239] Einsturzende Neubauten - Blume (+1)
#32 [239] Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea (-2)
#33 [236] Björk - Vokuro (+2)
#34 [234] Moby - Porcelain (Clubbed to Death version by Rob Dougan) (-)
#35 [231] Björk - Desired Constellation (+9)
#36 [230] Pendulum - Coma (+23)
#37 [229] Joe Jackson - Steppin' Out (-1)
#38 [229] Moby - Arp (+8)
#39 [226] CoLD SToRAGE - Cold Comfort (+10)
#40 [225] Luke Slater - Stars and Heroes (+10)
#41 [225] Nine Inch Nails - Just Like You Imagined (-8)
#42 [223] CoLD SToRAGE - Onyx (-5)
#43 [223] Console - 14 Zero Zero (-4)
#44 [221] Madonna - Frozen (+12)
#45 [221] Moby - Bodyrock (Hybrid's Bodyshock Remix) (-5)
#46 [221] Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (Radio Edit) (+23)
#47 [218] Pet Shop Boys - Miracles (Radio Edit) (+7)
#48 [218] Peter Bjorn & John - Young Folks (-10)
#49 [217] DJ Krush - Dig This Vibe (-2)
#50 [217] Groove Zone - Eisbaer (Extended Mix) (-8)
#51 [217] Madonna - Drowned World/Substitute for Love (+16)
#52 [214] b(if)tek feat. Julee Cruise - Wired for Sound (+6)
#53 [214] Radiohead - Videotape (+10)
#54 [213] William Ørbit - Water from a Vine Leaf (+1)
#55 [212] Hot Chip - Grubbs (-14)
#56 [211] PNAU - Journey Agent (+15)
#57 [206] b(if)tek - 3 Seconds of Her (+13)
#58 [206] UNKLE - Rabbit in your Headlights (-13)
#59 [205] Björk - Who Is It (Vitalic Mix) (-16)
#60 [204] CoLD SToRAGE - Cairodrome (+20)
#61 [204] Groove Terminator - Losing Ground (-13)
#62 [199] The Beta Band - Space Beatle (-)
#63 [199] Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Variation) (-12)
#64 [198] Cassius - Toop Toop (Olivier Koletski Mix) (+1)
#65 [197] ana voog - Telepathic You (+7)
#66 [197] Moby - Flying Foxes (+10)
#67 [193] Hot Chip - Boy From School (-15)
#68 [191] Pet Shop Boys - I don't know what you want but I can't give it anymore (-11)
#69 [191] Supreme Beings of Leisure - Strangelove Addiction (+15)
#70 [189] Kenji Kawai - Making of a Cyborg (+22)
#71 [189] Sasha - Wavy Gravy (+17)
#72 [188] Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be (+1)
#73 [186] Orbital - Petrol (+16)
#74 [184] Moby - Memory Gospel (+12)
#75 [184] William Ørbit - Barber's Adagio for Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix) (+10)
#76 [181] Björk - Triumph of a Heart (+5)
#77 [181] DJ Shadow - Six Days (+6)
#78 [181] Pet Shop Boys - Single - Bilingual (-10)
#79 [180] Bentley Rhythm Ace - Theme From Gutbuster (-15)
#80 [180] Moby - Natural Blues (-20)
#81 [177] Gustav - We Shall Overcome (-20)
#82 [176] Daft Punk - Around the World (-8)
#83 [176] Groove Armada - Dusk, You & Me (+12)
#84 [173] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Pulse (+3)
#85 [172] Faithless - Drifting Away (Paradiso Mix) (+6)
#86 [169] Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money) (-20)
#87 [167] Raven Maize - The Real Life (Fatboy Slim Mix) (-5)
#88 [162] Pet Shop Boys - Can You Forgive Her? (-10)
#89 [161] Pet Shop Boys - Paninaro '95 (-10)
#90 [159] Ramin Djawadi & The RZA - Daywalkers (-15)
#91 [158] Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring (-1)
#92 [155] Moby - In My Heart (-15)
#93 [153] Ratty - Sunrise (Here I Am) (Radio Edit) (new)
#94 [149] Kenji Kawai - Pappetry Song (Gods' Gathering in the New World) (-2)
#95 [145] Faithless - Salva Mea (Way Out West Remix) (+2)
#96 [144] Hybrid - Finished Symphony (Album Version) (new)
#97 [143] Graeme Revell - Elektra (-4)
#98 [143] Groove Armada - At the River (new)
#99 [140] Timo Maas - To Get Down (new)
#100 [137] Sash! - Chill Out No. 1 (new)

Two years of iPod, music, and lists.
Nothing learned, nothing gained. New music in 2009?

iChart 100: August 2008

#1 [345] William Ørbit - In a Landscape
#2 [343] William Ørbit - Cavalleria Rusticana
#3 [338] William Ørbit - Ogive Number I
#4 [326] Way Out West - Pulse of Life
#5 [326] 菅野よう子 [Yoko Kanno] - Bad Dog
#6 [325] CocoRosie - Rainbowarriors
#7 [323] Björk - Mouths Cradle
#8 [323] William Ørbit - L'Inverno
#9 [322] Thom Yorke - Analyse
#10 [322] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Style 3
#11 [321] William Ørbit - Triple Concerto
#12 [310] William Ørbit - Xerxes
#13 [303] William Ørbit - Pavane Pour Une Infante Defunte
#14 [296] Björk - Who is it (Carry my joy on the left, carry my pain on the right)
#15 [295] William Ørbit - Piece in the Old Syle I
#16 [291] Underworld - Two Months Off (Radio Edit)
#17 [285] William Ørbit - Opus 132
#18 [275] Moby - My Weakness
#19 [274] Bodyrox feat. Luciana - Yeah Yeah (D. Ramirez Radio Edit)
#20 [274] Vangelis - Love theme from Bladerunner
#21 [271] Gustav - Genua
#22 [269] CoLD SToRAGE - Body in Motion
#23 [266] Björk - Submarine
#24 [263] Hot Chip - Over and Over
#25 [263] Intermix - Mantra
#26 [244] Cassius - Toop Toop
#27 [237] Björk - Pleasure is all Mine
#28 [230] UNKLE - Lonely Soul
#29 [229] Björk - Visur Vatnsenda Rosu
#30 [228] Future Sound of London - Papua New Guinea
#31 [227] William Ørbit - Adagio for Strings
#32 [226] Einsturzende Neubauten - Blume
#33 [225] Nine Inch Nails - Just like you Imagined
#34 [221] Moby - Porcelain (Clubbed to Death version by Rob Dougan)
#35 [218] Björk - Vokuro
#36 [215] Joe Jackson - Steppin Out
#37 [213] CoLD SToRAGE - Onyx
#38 [212] Peter Bjorn and John - Young Folks
#39 [209] Console - 14 Zero Zero
#40 [207] Moby - Bodyrock (Hybrid's Bodyshock Remix)
#41 [206] Hot Chip - Grubbs
#42 [201] Groove Zone - Eisbaer (Extended Mix)
#43 [198] Björk - Who is it (Vitalic Mix)
#44 [198] Björk - Desired Constellation
#45 [195] UNKLE - Rabbit in your Headlights
#46 [194] Moby - ARP
#47 [192] DJ Krush - Dig this vibe
#48 [191] Groove Terminator - Losing Ground
#49 [190] CoLD SToRAGE - Cold Comfort
#50 [190] Luke Slater - Stars and Heroes
#51 [190] Rob Dougan - Clubbed to Death (Kurayamino Variation)
#52 [189] Hot Chip - Boy from school
#53 [189] Kenji Kawaii - Making of a Cyborg
#54 [187] Pet Shop Boys - Miracles (Radio Edit)
#55 [186] William Ørbit - Water from a Vine Leaf
#56 [185] Madonna - Frozen
#57 [184] Pet Shop Boys - I don't know what you want but I can't give it anymore
#58 [182] b(if)tek feat. Julee Cruise - Wired for Sound
#59 [182] Pendulum - Coma
#60 [180] Moby - Natural Blues
#61 [177] Gustav - We Shall Overcome
#62 [174] The Beta Band - Space Beatle
#63 [174] Radiohead - Videotape
#64 [170] Bentley Rhythm Ace - Theme from Gutbuster
#65 [169] Cassius - Toop Toop (Oliver Koletski Mix)
#66 [169] Pet Shop Boys - Opportunities (Let's Make Lots of Money)
#67 [168] Madonna - Drowned World/Substitute for Love
#68 [167] Pet Shop Boys - Single - Bilingual
#69 [166] Stardust - Music Sounds Better with You (Radio Edit)
#70 [162] b(if)tek - 3 Seconds of Her
#71 [162] PNAU - Journey Agent
#72 [159] ana voog - Telepathic You
#73 [159] The Chemical Brothers - Let Forever Be
#74 [159] Daft Punk - Around the World
#75 [159] Ramin Djawadi & The RZA - Daywalkers
#76 [156] Moby - Flying Foxes
#77 [155] Moby - In My Heart
#78 [154] Pet Shop Boys - Can you forgive Her?
#79 [154] Pet Shop Boys - Paninaro 95
#80 [153] CoLD SToRAGE - Cairodrome
#81 [152] Björk - Triumph of a Heart
#82 [152] Raven Maize - The Real Life (Fatboy Slim Mix)
#83 [151] DJ Shadow - Six Days
#84 [151] Supreme Beings of Leisure - Strangelove Addiction
#85 [148] William Ørbit - Barber's Adagio for Strings (Ferry Corsten Remix)
#86 [146] Moby - Memory Gospel
#87 [146] Yoko Kanno - Pulse
#88 [144] Sasha - Wavy Gravy
#89 [142] Orbital - Petrol
#90 [139] Pet Shop Boys - Being Boring
#91 [138] Faithless - Drifting Away (Paradiso Mix)
#92 [136] Kenji Kawaii - Pappetry Song (Gods Gathering in the New World)
#93 [133] Graeme Revell - Elektra
#94 [128] The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood #1 (Tunnels)
#95 [127] Groove Armada - Dusk, You & Me
#96 [125] Hybrid - Zulu
#97 [124] Faithless - Salva Mea (Way Out West Remix)
#98 [124] Radiohead - Idioteque
#99 [123] Joanna Newsom - The Sprout and the Bean
#100 [121] Sneaky Sound System - I Love It

Numerical lists are pretty much my answer to everything, but especially boredom.
For some reason tallying the one hundred most played songs on my iPod seemed like a good idea, less boring than doing it regularly. If you are reading this, you almost certainly need a hobby more than I do. This is break time for me!
Still, you might be one of those people who likes to scour the internet for people's playlists in order to find new music. Which is a service I would be happy to provide, even if my playlist is severely wanting. Anything beats real work, mind!