Game stop stopping growth?

Who is GameStop fooling?

Recently in an interview with Edge Magazine, Executive Vice President of GameStop International Mike Mauler revealed that GameStop, as a company, has "sat down with developers and publishers and really gone through the data." What data you ask? The data that claims that selling used games benefits the publishers as well as the developers. I know as a consumer I will search for the best deal I can, and if I can scoop up a Modern Warefare 2 for $19.99 as opposed to $49.99, I'm going to do it.

I can see how the data may help the execs at GameStop sleep at night, but perhaps there is more to the story; and more that they could do. The higher ups at GS say that by reselling the games used they help bolster the sales of the new titles in series. They offer up the titles again to a new audience and that "hooks" the player into buying into the series. Perhaps this works, but why not take a direct approach to support the industry that feeds them?

Don't read me wrong. I am not saying GameStop should stop selling games used...but rather share in the wealth. After all, this could easily be a win-win-win situation if everyone approached the idea objectively. Though it is a hard concept to imagine; let's take capitalism out of the equation for a moment. If GameStop stands behind their position that the reselling of used games feeds the market with older titles and helps fuel the purchase of newer releases, why can't they also put an effort in to insure that the used buyers do purchase the newer titles?

 Speaking from personal experience...

I bought my PS3 this past spring and when I purchased the system I bought it new with the Move/Sports Champion bundle. I also bought 2 additional titles to play; Assassin's Creed II and Modern Warfare 2. Both of those titles I bought used for nearly a 50% savings at GameStop. I signed up for the company's "Power Up" rewards program and the purchases counted as points toward future purchases. Which is great for me because now I can get $5.00 off of a used title, or $10 off of a used title in the future by redeeming my points. This is the capitalism part I mentioned come into play. I'm not sure of the "formula" that GameStop follows in buying and reselling games, but I assure you that it is enough to build a business on. My guess is if I brought a new title to them (lets say LA Noire) they would give me $25 - $30 bucks for it. They would then turn around and sell it for $50 - $55. A $25 profit for allowing it to sit on the shelves just long enough to change hands. Even if a consumer redeems enough points to earn a $10 off voucher, the company still makes $15 on the sale. Rockstar games, however, only sees the original $60 I spent, but none of the used purchase.

Here is my proposal: GameStop continues to offer the awesome used deals and rewards programs to the consumer as is. No changes. With a little bit of data tracking, GameStop issues reseller's fees to all the developers and producers of games which they resell. A 20-25% fee should be returned to the original maker of the game. Lets follow the formula again, with the added fee:

I buy LA Noire for $60. I bring it back to GameStop a few months later and sell it to them for $30. They turn around and resell it for $55. Using the 20% model, $11 should go to Rockstar for the reseller's fee, and GameStop pockets $14 in profits. Still not a bad take for not really doing anything... However, Rockstar is now cut into the circle. extrapolate this formula across 100,000 titles nation wide and you have yourself a fresh $1.1 million in revenue for Rockstar... Additional income above the original totals for the sale of the games originally.  
 
Now certainly the model isn't perfect. but in theory the idea would prove to be a great marketing strategy for GameStop. Why would I go to BestBuy or FYE when I can go to GameStop and get the awesome deals and know money is going back to the creators to support their hard efforts. I can see it now... "GameStop. Power to the players; Powering the industry"

I don't know... I may be wrong, but don't you think it would be in the best interest of GameStop to do everything they can to support the gaming industry and not piss them off? What do you think? I know GS would never go for a kick back to the publishers.. but what else could the company do to stay a positive "middleman" and not make either side upset?

Chad is an Adjunct Faculty member teaching video game design in Boston, MA. His school web site is http://www.phlume.com/EDU. He can be reached for comment there.

New Computer - Part 1 (Intel or AMD)

NEWEST NOTE (4-23-12)
I have stopped this series (sort of before it even got going) because the architecture and components I was focusing on are now a bit out dated. Please continue to read the new posts and follow the series I will start labeled SCAD RIG to catch up n the new PC I plan to build for my MFA.

 NOTE: I know less about hardware than I do software. I know enough to get by, and that is where the interactivity of this series of blog posts will come in. If you see something that you laugh at, don't flame me... just guide me as I would guide you if you needed to know something I did. I am not an expert computer builder so please do your own research and follow the advice of others as well and make an educated decision on your own.

When I was in my first year of college as a 3D animator back in the late 90's I had the pleasure of designing my first computer with the help of a reseller online. It was a Quantex brand computer... and unlike the Rain Man "Quantas never crashed..." quote, this computer crashed. Often. Perhaps it was Windows 95? perhaps it was the software loaded? Who knows. What I did know was that I outgrew the specs on that computer really fast.

I still have the spec sheet on it as I knew it would be fun to look at someday. It was printed on a dot matrix computer though so it is a bit faded. From what I could make out (and remember) the main specs of the machine were as follows:

300Mhz P2
32mb of RAM
8mb video card
8GB of hard drive space
56.6 dial up modem
and a 17" CRT monitor...

All for just over $2,000

Times sure have changed! Here it is in 2011, nearly 15 years later and I'd like to build a new machine. I figured I could create recurring blog on this site detailing my personal experience designing and building my new computer. I know there is a lot of research out there but I thought it may be fun to document my findings and share with the masses my personal choice. Not to mention grown and learn from the feedback that may be offered in return.

First things first: In designing the computer I want to set out knowing what I want the computer to be able to do and handle. I could get away with the basics if I was going to surf the web and write a book on the machine... but as you all know, this is NOT the kind of tower I want to design. What do I want to do with this computer? Well being a gamer and designer I need the computer to handle a lot of high end graphics. Let me make a list of the games/software that may be running at any time on the machine, most often, 3 or four of them open at once:

• A high end image/vector/video editing program (PS, IL, FL, AE, PR, ID...)
• 3DS Max, Mudbox, Maya, and UDK
• Possibly Unity or Torque
• Office suite (excell, word blah blah blah)
• A variety of smaller programs such as a browser window, notepad editor, mail client, AVG antivirus...

As for games, well I use the PS3 a lot for that now, but i am very interested in Dungeon Seige III and possibly From Dust... at least at first glance. but both of those would run easily with any system I set up to design/develop so lets focus on the 3D modeling/rendering and video editing capabilities of the machine.

AMD or INTEL?
As I embark on the first of many MAJOR decision of this new build, I will have to rely on what I can find/read online. My intuition tells me to go with an Intel chip. From what I have read they handle graphics a lot better. Am I wrong? This is where the feedback from the blog readers comes in. I was looking at the Core i7 2600K, "Sandy Bridge" (I'm thinking waiting for the Ivy bridge may be expensive, and Time consuming... thoughts there?). I noticed the 2600K and upon reading further the "K" means it is unlocked and you can overclock it, right? Though I have never over clocked a computer before, I think it sounds like an interesting idea and would certainly be interested in trying it. So for $15 - $20 bucks or so, I'll keep the "K" there and leave the option available.

The Intel chips are a bit pricier, but budget is secondary to a good, stable build. Oh... and speaking of budget. Don't get me wrong. I don't have thousands to drop on this computer so I will try to keep my entire budget to under $1000, leaving room for expansion over the next few years.

Intel Core i7 Quad Core 2600K 3.4GHz:
New Egg: $314.99 (link)
Tiger Direct: $314.99 (link)

Total budget in: $314.00

So now that I know I will be going with the Intel chip my next post will review some of the motherboard options. Before I close though, I'd love the feedback from the masses on i3, i5, and i7. Knowing what I'm doing should I even look at the i3/i5 processors? I'm pretty set on the i7 Quad core. If I have the cash I'd go for the hex.. but that may be too much muscle for the price right now.

Thoughts?

-C
Chad is an Adjunct Faculty member teaching video game design in Boston, MA. His school web site is http://www.phlume.com/EDU. He can be reached for comment there.

Commitment level...

This post isn't going to be about the latest engine, coolest game, tricky megatexture topics or molecular modeling... it's about commitment. In life, at work, in school, what are YOU willing to give to get it all?

As finals week kicks off here on the North Shore of Boston, I expect to see a variety of projects, animations, models and papers come streaming into my inbox and land on my lap(top). As I prepare to start the grading process on the student's work I think about the scary fact that I too will be a student again soon. I have to think about the idea and pause...I reflect for a moment at what I would like from my eventual professors as I embark on my next leg of educational journey. What kind of dis-service would I be doing to myself if I passed in the bare minimums and never tried to push the limits? Will i be making the most of my education, and setting myself up for a future in the gaming industry? The short answer is Hell no. How then, do I turn this thinking around and present it to my students?

Over the last handful of years teaching a variety of topics focused around digital art and the creation thereof, I have come across some stellar projects. However, for every one to two kick as examples I have had to wade through a sea of mediocrity. It kills me that students would devote only a portion of the time given to them to completing a project to actually working on the project, yet nearly 3/4 of the allotted time on YouTube or a playing 3DS and "talking" about what an awesome project they are going to create.

I understand not everyone can create incredible art. It is a talent...and a hard talent to master. I'm not looking for "talent" per se though. I'm usually grading on effort. It really amazes me that people would turn in some of the stuff that they do. Example... (No this hasn't happened, thankfully, but it is an example of what I am speaking of)

If I were to ask you to create a list of 5-7 game-play challenges and write a few paragraphs about the challenges and how they work, citing examples of different solutions. What would I be looking for?

An under achiever sees 5 challenges, one to two short (4-5 lines) paragraphs each that provide an overview of the hurdle listed.

Sigh.
(...Insert noise of a raspberry here)

For those that are less inclined to scrape by at bare minimums, you might be the type to pass in 6-7 challenges with decent descriptions of them all. Some would have shorter descriptions than others, based solely on the limited context needed to set the challenge up, but thorough enough to deliver a nice, clear and concise description. Alright... getting better..

Now... What am I looking for? Since I'm trying to prep you for the "real world" of an industry of giants that will not hesitate to scarf you down like last nights leftovers on an early morning ravenous binge... I want nothing short of brilliance.

Give me diagrams, sketches, descriptions and game play examples. Challenge me with new ideas and crazy twists on an outdated and tired theme. Don't pass in a timed maze... Make it fresh. Make it whimsical. Give me some sort of pattern recognition challenge with a logic twist. Surprise me with a moral challenge based purely on an economic standpoint. However, don't break my suspension of disbelief or the harmony that exists within your game's framework. If your game is a futuristic shooter set in a world similar to star trek... DON'T be foolish and reference Star Trek! Stay original. Maintain the harmony of the game and keep the "real world's" fiction realms out of your fiction realm.

Obviously, I understand the students are just that...Students. They are learning. The fact is though, if I don't try and push you further, you are going to fall into a sea of hopefuls and never be discovered. Unless you, as the student, take the time to push the limits of your own creativity, press the boundaries of your imagination and avoid what has already been done 1000 times over... you are never going to go anywhere but to the counter of your local Game Stop and purchase the games that your fellow students helped to produce.

-C

Chad is an Adjunct Faculty member teaching video game design in Boston, MA. His school web site is http://www.phlume.com/EDU. He can be reached for comment there.

Day late... but I'll keep the dollar.

Bear with me... I know these have been out for a bit, but I just found them so deal! Yeah...I'm new to the PS3. We know this (well, you do now). I've been a Nintendo kid all of my life, but with the tax cash I got this spring, I snagged a great deal on my 250GB PS3 Move bundle. I don't get a whole lot of time to play games for hours on end like I used to, but I did take the opportunity the other night to check out some very interesting demos. Mostly because they were free, but also because I wanted new blog fodder. Guest what... Found it!

The first game I found was Flower. thatgamecompany released an "emotive" follow up to it's debut release "flOw". This unique experience came out in 2009 so yeah... I'm behind the 8-ball on this one. But it doesn't mean I cant discuss the newness of the discovery to me, right? Flower is actually a very nice looking and pretty game, well ok not a game... it's more an experience. There isn't a lot of game play involved in this as far as I can see. You control the wind, blow some petals off of plants, and bring life to the dull landscape. Definitely an original concept, but I wouldn't call it a game. To me, a "game" has to have a certain level of challenges and obstacles the user must face and complete. Sure "Flower" has different levels you can navigate through, but there is no challenge apart from the occasional miss that happens when you speed up from a zephyr to a breeze and end up blowing past a few crucial stems. Yes, I know, I only played the demo.. but that was enough for me really. I saw the proof of concept and it fell short as far as I'm concerned. The music was alright; kind of relaxing and tolerable. No award winner there either though. The graphics were colorful and wispy... dreamlike... the high contrast offset the dull landscape which really made the scenery POP when the growth came to life and you passed a stage. This dreamlike feeling was what they were going for over at thatgamecompany I think, right... A Flower's dream world? In any case. If you want a free download to spend a few hours of your time trolling across a landscape in a semi open environment as an air elemental of sorts, grab the game. I wouldn't suggest buying it though.

The second "Johnny come lately" title I checked out that I wanted to post was "Echochrome." Another very innovative and original title. From 2008. This is interesting...Where "Flower" fell short on challenge and puzzle "Echochrome" came through with shining colors... well, sorta. In a weird juxtaposition to "Flower", this game is entirely in black and white with simple 8-bit-esque graphics. The challenges, however, are quite fun. Picture yourself in an impossible visual puzzle, sort of an Escher style drawing, or one of those optical illusion images you found in science books from 5th grade. Now, picture plaing as a pose-able artists mannequin and navigate around those illusion drawings on the map/path to avoid the pitfalls. That's Echochrome. Though a slight challenge, it was not enough to keep me engaged for more that the demo. In fact, I was bored before the demo was finished. One good thing came out of the Echochrome experience, however. All of those shapes made me want to play Tetris which I was thankful for. Both colorful, and challenging... Tetris that is.

Both of these games were quite unique from anything else I have played lately, but still not enough to impress me to purchase them. I'm glad they were free...I would have been kinda pissed if I paid anything for them. Sure both have that addictive quality to them which is why they are probably on there in the first place. I see these more as an smartphone or handheld app though. For some people, the games could be a nice way to mellow out after a difficult day of laying stone New England in January, or roofing work in July in Phoenix. But for me, as a game design instructor... they cause me more stress than my unruly college students. At least the students interact back in an unpredictable manner. If I was an individual who graded games for a living, I would give these both a, wait. I don't grade games for a living.

But tell me... Did you feel the same way? Have you played these? Did you BUY either of them? Do they get any better? Am I missing out on something grand by stopping at just the slice offered for free? I'd love to know if it is worth the coin to download the full versions. Do tell.

Mobile gaming?

(Note: "Words with Friends" isn't available on BB... my WordRival username is Phlume. Invite me to play...)

As I sat back and played Word Rival on my Blackberry this evening I couldn't help but wonder... Is Mobile gaming going to take over the home console system much like the consoles destroyed the arcade?

I look at all of the apps and games that are available across the board for Android, iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, DS, PSP, and the like. It is truly amazing at how cool these things have gotten! They are beautiful, powerful, and way better than some of the AAA titles that came out even 5 years ago. I remember about 10 years back, sitting down with my Nokia and it's black and green screen, charting a course for my snake to traverse in order to eat the next apple. I thought it was cool that I could play Tetris on that same phone... even though it was as slow as all hell, not very challenging, and hard to play because of the screen size. Flash forward a decade and you have touch screens, analog joysticks, multiple buttons and full 1080p... ON A HAND HELD! Remember the Gameboy; the classic "Brick"...Before that came out all I had for a hand held game was a crazy orange and black "spelling bee" device that helped me learn difficult 5th and 6th grade spelling with word games. I never imagined as I sat with that little speak and spell wanna-"bee" device that the gaming community would grow into a huge mobile empire.

When I reflect back on the 80's and the arcade games we stood at for hours I thought of the home VCS as a silly amusement past time we used to tide us over to the next visit to the Dream Machine, or Funspot. It's hard not to look at the mobile community as creating a similar dichotomy within the gaming industry; The home system vs. the hand-held.

As microprocessors get faster and smaller, we are seeing more and more computing power being placed into smaller and stronger devices, which in turn get placed into the hands of younger and younger consumers. Both of my children, 4 and 5, constantly ask me if they can play a game on my phone. I watch them as they fumble with the device and press the number pad and directional pad to navigate around the screen in whatever game they pull up. It's cute... but scary. When I was 5 I had a joystick and one button. Here they are with the Vita at their door step, the Wii U on it's way, augmented reality and the 3DS available and a plethora of games on phones and pads everywhere. Which makes me wonder... Will the home systems be shoved away for more powerful portable ones?

As we look to see the next gen of consoles scheduled to be released within the next 12-18 months, one wonders if this will be the last ones dedicated to be hooked up to a TV. Perhaps the ones we use today already ARE the last ones to be tethered to a tube? Will video games pick up and go mobile entirely? Will we ever have a need for cluttered living rooms with controllers and cables stuffed into drawers with cartridges and disks laying about to collect dust? Or are we seeing a shift in the paradigm that gaming systems are to be kept within the home?

What do YOU think? As I close out this final thought on a long week and head into the weekend I ask you: Are these the final round of systems that will stay within the house? Will we see a "changing of the guards" so to speak when it comes to how games are delivered to the masses? Tell me your thoughts. Share your insight and views.

Until next post... happy gaming y'all.

-C

Chad is an Adjunct Faculty member teaching video game design in Boston, MA. His school web site is http://www.phlume.com/EDU. He can be reached for comment there.