Well, I missed my Monday article, so I figured I would toss out a Friday version this week because I haven't posted in a while.  Free time is becoming scarcer as of late....

 

New Column
This week marked the initial article in my new serialized column exclusive to Gaming Nexus.  In the column "Won't someone think of the children?" I take a look at the games the ESRB is rating each week and break them down.  There is always a tasty nugget or two in their weekly release....

 

The Project
The Project is about to reach fruition, with the first couple articles to be published next week once Chuck (GamingNexus Editor-In-Chief) gets back from PAX.  I spent the last week compiling my collection of thoughts and observations into a workable piece and just need to put the finishing touches on it.  Unfortunately, the first unit had to be shipped back, but I have been busy trying to line up more companies.

 

XboxAmerica
XboxAmerica has literally exploded, with several hundred new members this week alone, and unique hits tripled from last month.  The leaderboards are filling up and we added members from the final two states that did not have anyone registered.

 

CROOKLYNMAYO, one of our more active members at XboxAmerica, had his first child last week.  Little Ellis Riley and Mommy are both doing great.  I wanted to throw a big shout out to CROOK and his family and wish them well.

 

The search for new staff members at XboxAmerica went well, with two Graphic Artist candidates that we really like.  There were a slew of people asking about the Staff Writer position(s), and I am still sorting through everyone that applied.  I hope to announce them in within the next week.

 

Last week, XboxAmerica received some assistance with source information that we hope to use to make the site an even better place.  I will continue to update this as the info becomes available.

 

My daughter started Kindergarten this week and she was really excited as she rides the Big School bus (not the day care ones) to and from her school.  Hopefully the rest of the school year will be as smooth as Day 1....

 

Football season is here, and my Fantasy League is stealing some of my attention.  We are beginning our ninth year with the same core group of six (out of 10) guys.  My team is starting off with a weak group of keepers, so here is to a solid draft next week and another Championship!

 

Next week I hope to cover the goodies coming out of PAX and be able to announce who our new staff is at XboxAmerica.

Its taken a long couple of years, but XboxAmerica has finally passed it's 1,000 member mark, and is adding people daily.  As a result, we are actively looking for Graphic Artists and Staff Writers to help with the site.  If anyone is interested (or knows anyone) head over to XboxAmerica to check it out.

One of my colleagues at GamingNexus, Cyril Lachel, posted a fantastic rebuttal to my piece, with several excellent points that counter my assessment that many reviews of classic arcade titles are being handled unfairly.  While I'm not ready to throw in the towel on my opinion, several of the points Cyril makes have validity.  Have a read over at GamingNexus. 

Next-gen console gaming is in full swing, and one of the biggest trends (if not THE biggest trend) has been the introduction of classic titles through the various online services.  Whether it is through Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Network or the Wii Virtual Console, old-school games are being downloaded at record pace.

 

This also means that more and more classic titles are being reviewed by gaming media outlets, community sites and fan sites alike.  Unfortunately, I see a trend developing in these reviews that to me, has been a bit unfair.

 

What I'm talking about is holding these games to the same review standards that titles such as Gears of Way, Warhawk or WiiSports are being held to.  This may seem like a no-brainer as these classic games are being "released" onto next-generation consoles, but I think reviewers find it hard to change the mindset they have while digging into a game.

 

Personally, I think as a reviewer you have to take a title for what it is, which in many cases is a game that was originally released 15-20 years ago.  When a title such as Track & Field or Rampart hits Xbox Live Arcade or Playstation Network, I always take the approach of comparing it to its former incarnation, as this is the "gold standard" (good or bad) for this game.  While this platform could have been a coin-op machine in the arcade, on the Intellivision platform or the NES system, the starting point should always be located there.

 

Granted, there are things that need to be looked at from today's perspective, such as any updating of the graphics, achievements, multi-player, global leaderboards and so on.  These are integral to merging the classic title with today's expectations.   But the core aspect of any classic game review should be "Does this game do justice to the original title?"  Are the quirks, innuendos and fubars that made the original version quaint and fun carried over?

 

I think the bottom line is that these classic downloadable games are targeted toward the people that played them in the past, with the hopes of exposing a whole new generation to these old-school games.  For a reviewer to blast a title as short, lame or having bad graphics without doing a full comparison to its original incarnation is short-sighted in my opinion.  Yes, almost all classic titles suck in comparison to today's next-gen releases, but do they do justice to the way you remember it back in the day?  That is the question that should be answered when you finish reading the review.... 

Every year, there is a single week in the gaming industry where both grown adults and children alike leave their places of work and play to be at their favorite retailer at open.  Why?  To secure their copy of the latest Madden game from EA Sports.

 

Despite Madden 08 being the third release on the Xbox 360 console, this year looks to be the first time that it will actually take advantage of the advanced hardware to produce the smoothest and most graphically enhanced version yet.  With Madden Holiday only a few days away, let’s hope that this year we finally get the game we expected in 2005…