The Minecraft Purchase and the Difference Between Riding the Wave and Crashing it

So Minecraft is now owned by Microsoft.




The world hasn’t quite exploded yet.



Mojang was purchased by Microsoft for 2.5 billion several weeks ago making the founders filthy stinkin’ rich but also sending the gaming and online community into a nervous wreck. After all, Microsoft has destroyed companies here and there during its run towards the top of the entertainment industry. In the gaming spectrum, Microsoft still hasn’t been fully forgiven for what they did to the once-gigantic Rareware. So now Microsoft owns the money-making machine known as Minecraft and the question is what it means going forward with the franchise and the company associated with it.

Well Microsoft can take Minecraft in two directions: ride the wave of success and continue collecting the profits that the game continuously delivers; or gamble and make it an Xbox/Windows exclusive and potentially crash the wave.

Microsoft can continue making it available to all platforms, all systems (besides Nintendo of course—even though it would make a great condensed 3DS game), and all computers—and cash in on the billions it has made over the past few years thanks to sales, merchandise, expansions, etc. Or they can decide to make the next variations and versions exclusive to the XBox, the Windows computers, and the Windows phones. Although you would lose some profits since the product isn’t as widespread, it would potentially add lots of value to your own products. Can you imagine the potential of Forza or Halo Minecraft? Can you imagine special patches involving Microsoft exclusive franchises?

Microsoft can also allow for those YouTube channels featuring Minecraft playthroughs and creations to continue to grow and flourish and not attempt to harm them. After all, Minecraft started out with no publisher and managed to grow into a powerhouse because of the Twitter Era. Or Microsoft can scan around and try to stop the videos and creations much in the way Nintendo stupidly attempted to go after the Let’s Play entourage of Nintendo games.

The point is, Microsoft has purchased a company that made gold out of dirt, and now the ball is in their court. The Windows Phone market share in the smartphone industry is a bare 2.5%. The XBox One is dead last, even trailing the critically-panned Nintendo WiiU. Apple continues to dominate the tablet and PC industry. Mojang could be the indie, low-budget solution that Microsoft desperately needs. Nintendo has first-party glory that has remained unmatched for two decades and will keep them afloat for as long as the circle of developers continue to stay in the radius. Sony has a pure stranglehold on the indie gaming spectrum, as it now has the top online service amongst the Big 3.

Outside of a great online program that is slowly losing out to Sony and the few remaining exclusive franchises, what does Microsoft have left? Titanfall, Forza, and Dead Rising have not moved hardware, and then we have Halo peering more and more behind Call of Duty’s shadow---which is also a franchise in the Sony side. Mojang can be that solution. Look at all they pulled off with one simple indie video game. So the question is do they want to use Mojang and Minecraft as one of their playing cards to keep? Or keep Mojang as the same likable indie company much in the way Disney lets Pixar run its own course (supposedly)?

I might be making a big deal out of this, I really might be. But at the same time I was a strong supporter of 90s Rareware and watching its downward spiral in the early 2000s was almost as bad as Sega’s. Microsoft needs to learn from them as opposed to try to take advantage of their new purchase. At the same time however, if Microsoft wants to truly profit they would allow the continuing success of Minecraft and not do a single thing to change it. Expand the company, keep it indie, and allow them to work their magic with a larger budget. Who knows what creations can come from them? And who knows if their upcoming projects can turn the XBox around? Sometimes all it takes is one game to dominate a generation: just ask Wii Sports, Donkey Kong Country, Super Mario Bros., and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City.

One thing is certain: Mojang is doing everything right while Microsoft is still trying to get back on its feet in the Console Wars. Learn from them----do not change them. This was a mighty good purchase as long as you don’t attempt to alter their ways.





That 2.5 billion can pay off significantly-----as long as Microsoft allows it to.

Should Sega Buy Capcom?

The amount of articles I could write about how Capcom should be bought immediately will reach infinite status, guaranteed. This is prime property, prime good ol’ money-making potential. Sony should buy them. Nintendo should buy them. If Disney has a way around the legal system, they should buy them. If Microsoft had a shot, they should buy them. The point is Capcom is the cinematic version of LucasArts, a company run by all the wrong people, but has all the right stuff to turn it back around.

I have already mentioned how Nintendo would be the absolutely perfect fit for Capcom’s new home. But let’s change the stakes just a little. There is a company out there with enough money to buy the stock necessary for said takeover. It is a Japanese company with plenty of American experience, and as of now has the finances necessary to get this job done. Lastly, if anyone is willing to make a big splash in the gaming industry, it would be these guys.





What about Sega?



Can you imagine if Sega forked over the money, became the primary owner, and single-handedly altered the landscape of the industry? Can you imagine Sega being allowed to pick and choose who they want to make games for, which Capcom franchises belong to which systems? Sega can hold the Mega Man, Resident Evil, and Street Fighter franchise practically hostage. While other companies in the third-party realm are indeed bigger, most of them are from the Western Hemisphere and are unable to create that strategy.


Now let’s look at Sega’s other option: competing in the console wars once again.



This one is far more a long shot because of all the risks involved and because the wound of Dreamcast still feels fresh (You don’t think so? 15 years ago Sega was third in the console wars. 10 years ago they became a third-party. Pretty sure it still stings). But if Sega were to expand their profits, developing a successful console is the way to go. PS4 is selling at a record pace. The Xbox One actually has one of the best first-year runs in gaming history, and it’s in third. Lastly Nintendo despite a pure lack of software and third-party support is etching in second place while inching towards 84% market share in the handheld market.

The money is indeed there if you are just competing, this isn’t the 90s anymore. The only reason Sony is reporting losses is because of their other fields being very unsuccessful, especially the television division. But the eighth generation is proving to be the most profitable, as the game lineups from all three systems have remained ho-hum, but are still selling like hotcakes. So why not see a Super Dreamcast in the future? Sega has proven to be innovative with its hardware capabilities, and all they really need to do to make an impact is improve the software (Not sure Sonic has gone back to Sonic and Knuckles quality just yet).

The hardware idea is much more a pipe dream because I am sure Sega will be more than satisfied remaining low and just developing games for everyone else. But the stock value and the quality value of the Sega name will increase dramatically if they can claim the sinking Capcom. Sega’s brand name has been rather fleeting since 1999, and that run needs to end very soon especially when you see companies like Rockstar and Activision put up heavy numbers.

If none of the Big 3 is interested, then Sega should definitely take the gamble, pay the millions, and create the takeover. Its lineup of available franchises will practically quadruple, and it will create possibilities in the software division, the hardware division, and even in the arcade division (where Sega reigned heavily once upon a time). This is a pure win-win situation for Sega, no doubt about it.

Seriously though, gaming companies, one of you needs to stop fooling around and just buy Capcom. Make the world a better place.

Mario Kart 8 and Nintendo's All-Hands-On-Deck Approach

May 30th, 2014 can be known as Nintendo’s Last Stand.


May 30th, 2014 can also be known as The Day That Saved the WiiU.


Only time will tell, but one thing is for certain: Nintendo has everything banking on Mario Kart 8 owning and conquering the summer.


Nintendo’s lineup of this year is extremely thin, and with its deficit against the PS4 rapidly increasing and its lead over the XBox One rapidly decreasing, they need to place all their wild cards on the few bright spots remaining. Mario Kart 8 is that humongous bright spot that Nintendo has recently been throwing everything at to make sure it remains in the spotlight.

Mario Kart 8 has now a bundle in multiple regions around the world, as it’s now packaged with WiiUs and also a few extra goodies (with the Europeans getting the nicer package since Sony and Microsoft have pretty much dominated the area in the past several years). The $330 price tag is extremely good, considering that $70 less than a PS4 you get a system and a game that just might be the best in the franchise (More on that in a second).

Not only that, but now Nintendo is practically, literally giving you a free game by just purchasing this one! Register the game online and before you know it, you can have your hands on Wind Waker or Pikmin or Wonderful 101 (Well, if you are in Europe). So at $330, you can get a new system, two video games, and more goodies? This is definitely the all-hands-on-deck deal we have been anticipating from Nintendo as we are seeing the continually dismal sales of the WiiU. According to VGCharts, even the XBox 360 has been outselling it in recent times.



Let’s discuss the game itself: the biggest online game ever released by Nintendo, as you can compete in tournaments, customize races with friends and strangers, and even upload gameplay footage directly online. This is arguably the most hardcore-accessible Mario Kart since the original SNES version. The Koopalings are all in the game to increase the marketing of the other Mario games out and about that gamers aren’t noticing (Super Mario 3D World and New Super Mario Bros. U are far off the usual whopping Super Mario sales numbers). This is the largest lineup of racers ever assembled in a Mario Kart game.



Nintendo is banking everything on Mario Kart to save the WiiU, everything.



The 2-D and the 2.5-D Mario franchises couldn’t do the trick, but Mario Kart just might be that savior. The SNES, N64, Gamecube, Wii, and 3DS each have their Mario Kart installments that are among the best-selling games in their generation and in the history of the system itself. Mario Kart Wii and Mario Kart DS are two of among the 20 best-selling video games in history. If there is something that sells, its plumbers in go-karts. Easy game to learn, easy game to master. Kids, parents, grandparents can play it.

But Mario Kart 8 needs to win. Smash Brothers U is too far away if this game doesn’t produce the noise.

Even the release date was meticulously planned to attempt to create the wave of success it desperately needs. It was originally slated for the spring but got moved after the disappointing 2013 holiday season. Summertime, right as schools and universities ends and free time actually exists. Although game companies prefer the September-December months to release the heavy-hitters, the summer has been kind to Nintendo. The infamous price cut of 2011 for the 3DS occurred in July, and hits like Mario Galaxy 2 and Mario Kart Wii came out in summer/close to summer.

Mario Kart 8 has the marketing, the online components that we had been begging for, the extremely diverse grouping of characters, the perfect release date, the inclusion to a bundle that doesn’t suck (Nintendo Land was a mistake and a half), and the focus and care that Nintendo should place on their hardcore fans. This is the 2014 version of Ocarina of Time, minus the epic commercial. The difference is Nintendo knew Ocarina of Time was potentially going to be the biggest and best game in history. With Mario Kart 8, it could be the biggest-seller of 2014 and finally thrust Nintendo into the as-of-now two-sided Eighth Generation console war.

And just that potential is why Nintendo is rolling out all its features, specials, and attention towards this one game. Can’t discredit them on lack of effort, that’s for sure. One thing is certain:



Mario Kart 8 is huge-success-or-bust.

The Hindering Success of the Nintendo 3DS

There was a recent interview of Koichi Hayashida on IGN talking about why the NES Remix games have not been released on the 3DS. In short words, he basically said that the 3DS doesn’t really have the technical capabilities to be able to run NES Remix. Of course reading the interview I found the answer interesting and would like to add one extra word:


Nonsense.


Total, unadulterated nonsense. The Nintendo 3DS will be running Super Smash Brothers (P.S., why is it lacking a true title?!?) on 60 FPS with no issue---and this fighter needs some major processing power to be able to replicate the Smash experience. You telling me that you can’t run a game that takes NES games (all of them 20+ years old by the way) and gives them little twists? Absolute lie. I don’t believe it in the slightest bit, sorry.

This is the truth: NES Remix would work perfectly fine on the 3DS, and to an extent should have been a strictly 3DS game with GBA or even SNES Remix occurring in the Nintendo WiiU. But the success of the 3DS is starting to directly affect the sales of the WiiU and Nintendo is beginning to see the problem.

Part of the WiiU’s failures (Trust me, there are dozens of reasons) includes the fact that it looks like the Nintendo DS on pure steroids. And while in hindsight it is a good idea since the original DS sold over 150 million copies worldwide during its epic run, it diminishes the value of the WiiU altogether. Why spend the $300 on a big DS when you can fork over half that cash and buy a system that is easy to move around with, and has a killer library of games?

Why get a WiiU that features Super Mario 3D World, Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze, Mario Kart 8, Super Smash Brothers WiiU, New Super Mario Bros. U, and the Virtual Console feature when you can get the cheaper 3DS with games like: Super Mario 3D Land, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Mario Kart 7, Super Smash Brothers 3DS, New Super Mario Bros. 1 & 2, Virtual Console, and a much bigger assortment of games?

Nintendo is making fantastic money, but it’s all coming from the 3DS. The 3DS nearly has 85% market share in the handheld field, and is steadily being able to hold off advances from the smartphones and Apple products to continue making good money---and this is without a major 3DS release currently making waves---until Smash Brothers and the inevitable Pokemon X/Y spin-off that is. The WiiU on the other hand is getting obliterated by the PS4 and has not taken off a.n.y.w.h.e.r.e., not even in the usually-reliably Japanese region.

Nintendo is not going the Sega path, since Sega failed in every field at the same time in the late 90s. Nintendo is still raking in cash, its still going to be fine in the long run even if the WiiU fails harder than the notorious Gamecube. But in order for the WiiU to have any sort of chance, it needs to distance itself from the 3DS as much as humanely possible. And NES Remix (And potentially SNES Remix, GBA Remix, N64 Remix) is part of that solution—becoming exclusive for the struggling machine.

This is why any idea that seems better-suited for the 3DS is winding up on the WiiU: GBA Virtual Console, DS Virtual Console, The Remix Games, and the long-overdue influx of indie games. Although it seems like giving more Nintendo gamers options to play these types of games, if the 3DS owners have their hands on any of these properties, they will be much less inclined to transition to the WiiU in the eighth generation of gaming.

Nintendo has totally dropped the ball in terms of upgrading the looks of their main franchises, still sticking with the 2-D, not-as-hardcore installments to their heavy-hitters like Mario and Donkey Kong—resulting in the WiiU versions feeling like mere Windows-like upgrades to the 3DS gems. Am I really going to fork over the $60 for Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze when it looks like a game that can handle itself on the 3DS?


Side Note: One of the worst things Nintendo did in the past few years is manage to condense a first-party Nintendo Wii game to the 3DS and display how behind the Wii-series of systems is compared to the PS4 and XBox One.


So it may look strange, it may look downright bizarre that all these incredible ideas that seem perfect for the forever-improving 3DS wind up on the WiiU, but it’s mainly because the console is struggling to find its footing and momentum—and it is leading to the transferring of handheld ideas to the larger machine. The 3DS is a successful piece of hardware that is all but eliminating its own best friend, Nintendo’s own WiiU. Nintendo’s shift of focus is smart and understandable, for the console market is bigger and more successful than ever (Grand Theft Auto V anyone?) and it is time to take advantage of this.




That being said, in the field of transferring handheld ideas to consoles, why is Pokemon STILL not on the radar?

What GTA V Taught the Gaming Industry

Grand Theft Auto 5 and its revenue of nearly 2 billion dollars should be a lesson to the rest of the gaming industry. GTA V and its 32 million copies sold should be a revealing message to all the competitors and companies involved with the gaming industry. Nintendo should take notes. Microsoft should take notes. Activision should take notes. Everyone should take notes because the future of gaming is not the eighth generation, but actually what occurred within the contents of the disk in the instant masterpiece.

For starters, Grand Theft Auto 5 is a massive, massive, massive game. Video games should strive to be as big, diverse, and intimidating as GTA V. There is so much space to roam between missions and locations that it even drew some complaints amongst critics on the internet. Rockstar knew that in order to build upon the success of GTA IV (Which by the way despite the length and size was a few layers below Vice City and San Andreas) they needed to think bigger, they needed to raise the stakes; they needed to build upon what has worked.

Five years was spent on this game. Five slow, grueling years had occurred since conception leading up to the anticipated release. $115 million was spent on the game, with an absurd $150 million extra spent on marketing.


Rockstar’s blockbuster sequel-like strategy needs to be imitated much more often.


Part of the reason why GTA V has sold phenomenally is because of its bigger, superior sequel complex. The video game industry is run on brands; brand names can carry games into overwhelming numbers before a single negative review hits the airwaves. But these brands also need to learn to evolve into bigger and better things. You cannot too quickly release a new game in the franchise and have it look like the game before---unless you have an excellent continuing storyline or have a killer multi-player to back it up.

The sequel rehash image is what killed gaming franchises like Guitar Hero, Need for Speed, Burnout, Tony Hawk ProSkater, Metroid, Star Fox, Street Fighter, Prince of Persia (twice), Double Dragon, Tekken, Mortal Kombat (fighting games immensely suffer from this because it’s hard to actually improve a fighting game franchise outside of increasing characters), Madden, NFL Blitz, NBA Jam, and is beginning to cripple franchises like Donkey Kong, Zelda, Kirby, Gran Turismo, and to an extent even 2-D Mario games (Mario games don’t move hardware sales like they used to).

GTA V is currently the ultimate proof that gamers are indeed willing to wait years upon years for a video game as long as the product is good. The sequel factor does not wear off like it does in the movies when an upcoming installment takes too long to release. It had been 21 years since Kid Icarus games, yet the sequel still managed to sell over a million copies on a handheld that was slumping at the time. Although the gaming industry is a tough place and time is sometimes of the essence, every once in a while you need to take your time with a heavy-hitter title so it doesn’t become a disappointment and cripple the brand name.

The formula is very simple, even though there are few companies nowadays following the recipe: for the sequels to a good/popular game you need to increase the stakes, increase the budget, increase the exposure, increase the scope, and never rush it. GTA V was released in the backend of the seventh generation with brand new hardware releasing right around the corner and still managed to break a billion dollars faster than any form of entertainment in history. It is a game that pretty much doubled in size, and tripled the amount of characters, therefore increasing the variety, and the overall length of the game. You knew from the getgo you were getting your money’s worth.

Gran Turismo 6 on the other hand also came out at the backend of the seventh generation a mere three years after GT5 and suffered from a few setbacks (graphics issues, crashes still look iffy, a few restrictions), and has been outsold by its previous installment by 8 million copies and even losing out to the prologue of GT5. Hell, even the PSP Gran Turismo sold better.

Gamers can see success from a mile away, and gamers can see disappointment from a mile away. GTA V looked amazing, looked like the new step forward in the beloved franchise, and was rewarded with at least 2.5 billion in the bank by the time this year is over. Now look at Skyward Sword, selling only 3.7 million copies for a system that has an install base of 100 million and with the Zelda brand that has seen its previous game sell nearly 7 million.

GTA V’s success can be duplicated by everyone involved in gaming. All it takes is the same amount of effort, dedication, and care. So everyone, take notes. It will benefit you, the creator, and it will benefit us, the consumer.

The Continuing Rise of Sony

For the few of you that continue reading this blog, you’ll notice the lack of articles about Sony.



The reason is very simple: Sony has not screwed up as much as the competitors in recent years. Especially Nintendo.



And their reward? Winning the 2013 Holiday Season and being a few months away from taking first place in the Eighth Generation race.


Sony, led by a great marketing campaign, excellent forward momentum, good arsenal of third-party games has won the holiday season even though there weren’t many exclusive titles for its newest system or its latest handheld. It already is closing in on the WiiU hardware sales and is slowly but surely separating itself from the troubled XBox One (still recovering from its summer of controversy).


The Playstation Vita will definitely lose against the 3DS, and may not even reach the sales of the original PSP. But the Vita is gaining traction in Japan and is handedly outselling Nintendo’s WiiU. A victory is a victory, even if it’s coupled by a couple losses. Let’s also add its sales have increased by over 160% in Europe since the release of the Playstation 4, so there might be a growing market in the England-and-beyond-Europe community.


Sony became smart by making the Vita a piggyback to the Playstation 4 as opposed to a full-on competitor against smartphones and Nintendo (the hardware fight has been pointless for two decades now. Nintendo owns this and it is their battle to lose). So the Vita is an expensive niche that can serve as a controller or a nice accessory to the reasonably-priced PS4.


PS4 has sold 4.7 million copies, and has survived the I-am-accidently-competing-against-my-own-system PS3 crossing the 80 million threshold and still making good money thanks to the mammoth success of Grand Theft Auto V an FIFA 13. And this is with only one of the PS4’s best-selling games being an exclusive, with Killzone on the list. So imagine what happens when Uncharted, Gran Turismo, God of War, Little Big Planet, and whatever Naughty Dog has up their sleeve releases. The main difference between Microsoft and Sony is that while Microsoft has more third-party power, Sony has made excellent strides in the first-party department.


And let’s recall that it has not even come out in Japan. Outselling the XBox 360 9 to 1 last generation, Sony has a lot of forward momentum heading through 2014 as the third-party hasn’t abandoned them like they have Nintendo, and they have yet to unleash their big weapons. It is a good time to be a Sony fan.


With the dust finally settling from 2013’s Black Friday and Holiday Season, it is definitely Sony’s victory as the PS3 continues selling, the Vita is earning a new life as a niche product, and the brand-new PS4 is inches away from overtaking the WiiU and becoming the top dog of the Eighth Generation.




Well done, Sony.

The Final What-the-heck-are-you-doing-to-the-Virtual-Console-Nintendo Post

This will be my final article about the Virtual Console in this blog, because quite frankly I can’t take it anymore.


I am allergic to stupidity and my sinuses are clogging my nose so badly I have to sound like a serial killer to get some air in my lungs. Nintendo announced that they will be releasing DS games on the WiiU Virtual Console as a way to entice gamers to purchase the system to play games on what is currently the biggest success story in the history of Nintendo gaming—and arguably all of gaming.


Before we get to why the announcement was dumb in every single conceivable level, let’s point out why Nintendo probably went with the route of the DS going to the WiiU:


1)    The Nintendo DS is the second most successful gaming machine of any kind in history
2)    The Nintendo DS lifetime sales totals past 150 million, with only the PS2 in a very, very weak sixth generation selling higher
3)    The software totals pass 811 million, which is the best out of any handheld in history
4)    Six of the 30 best-selling games in the history of gaming are on the DS, with New Super Mario Bros.’ 30 million being the prime example
5)    There are 10 video games for the DS that sold over 10 million copies

It makes sense. Deliver all these acclaimed and popular games for download to theWiiU, a system that can work as a duel-screen handheld on steroids. It makes sense. But there is only one problem:



You forgot about the NES, SNES, N64, Gamecube, Nintendo Wii, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Boy Color, Virtual Boy, and the Nintendo arcade games. You forgot about the Sega Master System, Sega Genesis, Sega Saturn, Sega Dreamcast, and Sega CD. You forgot about the Atari, the Jaguar, the Neo-Geo, and practically every single system between the years of 1980 and 2005.

You forgot about the fact that not only does the WiiU not offer widescreen play for your older games (which is absolutely stupid considering that the Wii did this), but the Virtual Console output for the WiiU remains sitting at less than 100 games, when between the years of 1985 and 2005 there are over 3,000 games to choose from---and I am not even including the handheld games that precede the Nintendo DS.

As an analyst, I am baffled. As a former fan that recently broke off all connections with Nintendo, I am furious. Nintendo there are literally hundreds of good games you are skipping out and have yet to release in the download market. You have totally forgotten the existence of the Nintendo Gamecube which comes with a slight irony because everyone else did too back in the day. And there are tons of excellent games within the Gamecube library that could bring a breath of actual fresh air to the WiiU.

How you ask? Well, the Gamecube barely sold north of 21 million copies, which is a laughable fraction compared to what all three systems of this previous generation sold. It’s a small install base. Now look at the sales of the Gamecube “classics”:


Eternal Darkness: 440,000

Star Wars Rogue Leader: 973,000

Super Mario Sunshine: 5.9 million

Viewtiful Joe: 275,000

Metroid Prime: 2 million

Metroid Prime 2: 800,000

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door: 1.64 million

Mario Golf: Toadstool Tour: 1.2 million

F-Zero GX: 650,000

These are all well-known games that honestly weren’t bought or played all that much. Just throwing half of these games into the Virtual Console limelight along with the should-have-already-come-out classics of the SNES and N64 would have been a perfect holdover for when Nintendo software-wise catches up with the rest of the gaming industry. After all, can you name 5 big games coming out for the WiiU in 2014?

Nintendo is once again dropping the ball on the Virtual Console business. They have been doing this to us for many, many, many years and it is amazing how many mistakes they have made along the way. They should have made one of their major branches within the company focus solely on bringing these games to the WiiU. And let’s not also forget the 3DS, which is STILL lacking Game Boy Advance games as well as SNES and N64 games. It would be a great apology to the hardcore fanbase that grew up with these classics and would be a nice homage to the few folks that did purchase and enjoy (allegedly) the Gamecube.

The Nintendo DS being added to the Virtual Console WiiU is not going to do any favors to the company. But expanding their efforts with the dozen systems that precede the Nintendo DS would. Once again, this is the last time I discuss the Virtual Console, because by now you are all aware that I firmly believe it’s an excellent idea being executed excruciatingly poorly.




Stop letting us down on this Nintendo, it is beyond embarrassing and is a major potential source of income being wasted.

The Financial Downward Spiral of Capcom (And How It Can Still Be Saved) [Part 1 of 2]

So Capcom has a mere 152 million in the bank. Is 152 million a lot of money? Of course it is, until you realize that there are movies that cost more, there are modern-games with $50 million invested, and until you realize that those millions applies to the entire company. And with a new generation of gaming literally around the corner and rising costs guaranteed, Capcom is in deep, deep trouble.


But before you feel bad for the Japanese company and its struggling ability to stay relevant (Similar to Square Enix) in these dark times, let’s bring this one major point up:


Capcom brought this upon themselves.



And here are the backwards steps Capcom took (not in any order) leading to their dire situation:


1) Breath of Fire VI Disaster

Instead of working on a legit Breath of Fire game, a deeply appreciated franchise in the RPG community, Capcom takes the stupid route and makes the sixth installment an android-only game. So instead of taking a multi-million selling franchise and giving it a next-generation uplift or even make a handheld installment they make it a phone game. Way to crap on a classic 90s franchise.




2) Mega Man Disaster

They cancelled the last FOUR Mega Man games, even though this was the franchise that essentially put the company on the gaming map in the first place. This was similar to what would happen if the next 3-D Mario game was abruptly cancelled altogether without explanation. Mega Man 9 and 10 were good hits on the online marketplaces within the three systems. So instead of a Mega Man Legends 3 for the 3DS, instead of Mega Man 11 for the next-gen systems, instead of a Mega Man X9, we have----nothing. Its pretty much the death of Mega Man as we know it. No wonder the original staff from the previous Mega Man games took off running....


3) Resident Evil Disaster

Resident Evil used to be the peak of survival horror. But recently the franchise went in a totally different direction and tried becoming another Uncharted or God of War leading to disappointing results. Capcom has yet to learn that we want a horror game, not an action game with lots of monsters. And even with that, the games pale in comparison to games of similar structure. Stop trying to become Halo and be more like your old-school Resident Evil games.Resident Evil's recent-depleting numbers should tell you that message.


4) Nintendo/Capcom

Remember when Capcom promised Nintendo 5 exclusive games on the Gamecube and it turns out that each of these games (that succeeded) went to the PS2? Remember when the Mega Man brand was dying and Capcom asked Nintendo to put the blue bomber in Smash Brothers Brawl and Nintendo (of course) turned them down? Hey want to know what happened to Brawl? Became the best-selling fighting game of all-time, toppling every Street Fighter game in the process. Who has the last laugh there? Capcom’s backstabbing of Nintendo was a major blow and a total contrast to what happened to Sega when they partnered with Nintendo and got some life after losing their ability to make hardware. I am sure Capcom could have used Nintendo's 100 million Wiis userbase between the years 2006-2011 when the Wii was at its peak.


5) Marvel vs. Capcom 3

Hey remember that Marvel fighting game missing Rogue, Loki, Gambit, Mega Man, Venom, Silver Samurai among dozens of others? How on earth did Marvel vs. Capcom 2, a game older by a decade, have twice as many characters? And then re-releasing the game with an Ultimate edition the very same year was a low disgusting blow. Just to rub this in, here’s a nice tally: Marvel vs. Capcom 3 (2.27 million) Smash Brothers Brawl (11.79 million).


6) Street Fighter IV Super Mega Ultimate Turbo Hyper Alpha Marathon Pickles

The tiring amount of variations of the Street Fighter games used to be fun to witness on the SNES/Genesis days, but nowadays with the economy and rising costs of being a gamer, its very stupid to witness. What has held off the sales of fighting games and most Capcom games nowadays is knowing that there is a superior version around the corner waiting to come out. We gamers are far more informed than we used to be, and that sort of nonsense just won’t be tolerated. You think GTA V would have made one billion in sales in three days if Rockstar adopted Capcom’s technique in releasing games?


7) Tatsunoko vs. Capcom

The one fighting game that surprised many was the Wii’s Tatsunoko vs. Capcom, by making 25 million with minimal hype or fanfare. And this goes back with the strained and bizarre Nintendo/Capcom relationship, which didn’t allow this franchise to flourish for some odd reason. This was the one surprise-hit franchise in Capcom’s watch in the past half-decade and yet nothing was done to enhance the momentum—no sequel, no multi-platform release, no porting to the 3DS, nothing……why?


8) The DRM/DLC Disaster

This one takes the cake. Capcom’s treatment of these two subjects is the main reason for its downfall. There was the Resident Evil 3DS controversy, which disallowed for gamers to erase any save data, destroying its chances for re-sale. It was a low move that resulted in terrible sales for a game released in a handheld that is outselling all other systems by a substantial amount. This was the first attempt at a DRM-style change in gaming as game companies across the planet have started combating Gamestop and all the small resale markets that sell old games.


Then the DLC mayhem. If you sell DLC content that’s fine. But when the DLC content is within the video game itself, it causes problems because it leads the gamer to believing that they are paying full price for a game they don’t have full access to. This resulted in games like Street Fighter X Tekken, Resident Evil 6, and Marvel vs. Capcom 3 getting hacked and revealed to be games with the DLC attached and forcing you to pay extra to unlock. Utter nonsense. If you think gamers don’t rebel against this I have a story for you Capcom: you are down to less than $150 million right now. Time will tell how much farther you are going to fall.


So with all this, can they be saved? Of course, stay tuned for the YouTube video that will be my Part 2 to this massive article about the issue of Capcom’s slow death. It will be released next Monday. 




But until then Capcom read these words: Stop Your Nonsense.

Microsoft's Strange Neglection of American Gamers

This one really baffles me, it really does.




Microsoft is reaching out to the United Kingdom market by offering them a choice between FIFA or Forza 5 when they preorder the Xbox One for the first day. Originally there was some confusion (that Microsoft didn’t clarify) that this was applying to gamers worldwide, not just the British. And the other confusion (Which Microsoft was also late in clarifying) is that it applied to ALL pre-orders when in actuality it applies only to day one pre-orders. Good going Microsoft PR team. Nonetheless, after several weeks and potential pre-orders with the thought of getting a game included at launch, Microsoft cleared the air by stating this was only for the U.K. region.




And now they have offered Forza 5 to U.K. gamers.


As for the Americans…well…nothing yet…if anything happens at all.............



And this my friends is why Microsoft can never quite ever have a chance to seize first place. Why on earth are you punishing the one region that has best supported you all these years?


Between the Xbox and the Xbox 360, 103 million consoles have been sold. Amongst the 103 million, 60.24 million have been sold in North America. In case you don’t want to do the math, it is 58% of all Microsoft consoles sold have been sold in the Americas. Only 30% belong to Europe. Now I know that Sony quite frankly owns the entire European and Japanese market in recent years and Microsoft wants to gain the upper edge somehow.

But why are they punishing American gamers? Why are they being shafted by not getting a free game? It is not like Europe, Japan, or Australia is the biggest gaming market now---this title still belongs to America and its neighbors. In the United States nowadays, video games make far more money than television, music, and movies. Every single winning console in each generation had control of the American market. The Sega Genesis outsold the Super Nintendo in European, South American, and Oceanic market. Guess which one between Sega and Nintendo isn’t making consoles anymore.

And guess what, the PS4 isn’t launching with a video game in the United States either, but gains the upper hand by being $100 cheaper, including its version of a camera, and promising potential backwards-compatibility---just like the Xbox One. So wouldn’t it make sense to make this offer to American gamers as well as European gamers? Wouldn’t it have made sense to announce in E3 or shortly after that you are bundling the Xbox One with Forza 5 (potentially the best-looking launch game between the two major systems) or Madden (Which would come with that stupid NFL feature that Microsoft is so proud of)? Wouldn’t it make sense to continue the momentum of outselling Sony by 15 million copies on the biggest gaming section in the world?

It is insulting and absolutely stupid to make the offer for free games to only one or two smaller regions, and exclude the one major region that requires conquering to win the war. Fun Fact: Every console and handheld that wins Japan and the United States wins the whole darn thing, and usually by a good amount. The Wii overall outsold the PS3 and the Xbox 360 in all of North America and this is after giving up the battling three years early partially thanks to an awesome but forgotten 2010 campaign (Bit.Trip.Runner, Cave Story, Mega Man 10, No More Heroes 2, NBA Jam, Red Steel 2, Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, Spiderman: Shattered Dimensions, Super Mario All-Stars, Donkey Kong Country Returns, Fragile Dreams, Goldeneye 007, Super Mario Galaxy 2, Tatsunoko vs Capcom, Kirby's Epic Yarn, Monster Hunter Tri).


Microsoft, reward the one country that saved your original system, and strongly supported your sequel through all the good times and bad times. Give the Americans a chance to get a free game. And allow us to choose just like the Europeans.



Don’t leave US (see what I did there?) in the dust.



Otherwise, Sony and Nintendo wouldn’t mind claiming some of the American gamer fanbase from you.



Source:
VGChartz