GamerNode: The Q's Columns

Daily Q: Will the world end this year?

Welcome to the late edition of the Daily Q. Today we're going with a simple question, but you may not understand the context from where this Q comes. It stems from long development cycles.

I remember seeing the very first trailer for Duke Nukem Forever. That was about 11 years ago. I had convinced myself that the Duke was dead. There's also Too Human -- a game that's been in development for 8 or 9 years now. I feel like I've been hearing about this game since the PSone days.

I had chalked both of these games and the newest Alone in the Dark up as vaporware, but it seems all three will be coming out this year.

Could this be the end? Is it possible that this triple shot of vaporware turned actual software is enough to end the world as we know it?

I would have said yes if we were seeing Kil...

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Daily Q: Getting stuck part two

Getting stuck in a videogame can be a horrible experience. Aside from the frustration and occasional broken controller, it can also lead you to do things that make you feel dirty like using cheat codes, or walkthroughs.

In this multi-part, multi-day Q we will talk about getting stuck/being stuck and the results that follow. Today we move on to physical manifestations of getting stuck and therefore frustrated at games.

What have you done to vent the inner frustration from getting stuck?

I have seen many things in my time as a gamer. We've all seen the smashing of controllers, either throwing them to the ground or (now that they are wireless) throwing them into walls or perhaps out windows.

The craziest thing I've seen goes back to the Sega Genesis days. A friend of mine was stuck on a game...

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Daily Q: Getting stuck part one

Getting stuck in a videogame can be a horrible experience. Aside from the frustration and occasional broken controller, it can also lead you to do things that make you feel dirty like using cheat codes, or walkthroughs.

In this multi-part, multi-day Q we will talk about getting/being stuck and the results that follow. We'll start at the start.

What is your worst stuck point in a game? Were you able to overcome? How?

So its three Q's but the heart of it is one topic. I've heard tales of people playing the same part of Ninja Gaiden for months at a time, and the water temple in any Zelda game from Ocarina and beyond is enough to make people stop playing all together.

Autosaves have also been cause for stuck moments in recent memory. Why the hell would I want to save with me almost dead, wit...

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Daily Q: What is your go-to game?

I was rattling my brain trying to come up with a solid Q for today when my roommate stumbled upon an answer for me. We were discussing pick up and play games like Rayman on the Wii when he asked what games I play when there are no games to play. The kinds of games you play when you don't want to do too much but you still want to play a game. I thought it was such a good Q that I am now posing it to the community.

What is your go-to game?

My immediate thought was Geometry Wars on the 360. I throw that on every now and then. It's quick to load, there’s no searching for a disc and I’m relatively satisfied if I only play for 15 minutes.

My roommate's answer is Mario Kart on the DS. Same idea really. Quick to pickup and play, races only last about 3 minutes and you’re comple...

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Daily Q: Could the ESA be doomed?

I am one who strongly supports the ESA and the ESRB. Having an Entertainment Software Association to act like a band of brothers when the going gets tough has done a lot for the industry. The ESA has stood up for games and the freedom that publishers have to create games in front of congress on more than one occasion.

Earlier this month we learned that Activision/Vivendi were leaving the ESA thinking they would be better off alone. I chalked it up to getting a big head because they are the largest publisher. But now, something strange is happening; LucasArts left two weeks ago, and now iD software has also announced they have left the ESA.

I ask you, community, Is the ESA Doomed?

The largest publisher is gone, and now it seems the smaller ones are making their way to the door. Who will...

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Daily Q: Do you play "casual" games?

One big topic in the world of videogames this particular console generation is the notion of "casual" vs "hardcore" gamers, but what does that actually mean? Lately, the gaming press generally calls anything that falls in the puzzle genre a casual game. Minigame collections are big recipients of the casual label, and about half the releases on Nintendo consoles get slapped with that distinction as well.

It seems that anything that has minimal storyline and focuses on shorter individual gameplay sessions is what people like to call "casual," so my question to the GN readers is this:

Do you play casual games? How do you define that term?

Yeah, it's two questions again, but I think the second is essential to understanding the first. As for me, I tend to gravitate towards the more complete ...

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Daily Q: Is this the start of something big?

I'm not sure if anyone else has seen the trailer for Mad World (here). I was extremely intrigued by the idea that this game is has found its home on the Wii. The Wii has been known as a party system with a library filled with minigames since its inception, but the folks over at Platinum Games look to change that in a big way.

With games like Resident Evil, Devil May Cry and Okami under their belts, the team over at Platinum Games is not new to making awesome games. With games like No More Heroes and Mad World it seems at least some companies are trying to draw in the hardcore crowd to the Wii, or at least make converts out of minigame loving casual gamer

So is this the start of something big?

Could the addition of Mad World to No More Heroes and Manhunt 2 along with staples of Nintendo har...

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Daily Q: What is your dream fighting crossover?

There are lots of fighting games. The war wages on about which one is the best but we have already discussed it here at the Daily Q. Within all those fighting games come a select few crossover games. The most popular being Marvel vs Capcom and the newest being Mortal Kombat vs DC.

What is your be all, end all fighting mash up?

This really boils down to whoever you want to see fight one another. Some people may have realized their dream with Super Smash Bros Brawl finally having the ability to pit Sonic against Mario. Some may continue to hope for a Marvel vs DC game to put those age-old debates to fruition.

For me, the ultimate mash up would hark back to my childhood, Ninja Turtles vs Ghostbusters. I used to have a sewer sitting next to my firehouse and crossovers would ensue on a dai...

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Daily Q: What is missing from GTA4?

Ok, this is the last GTA question for at least 10 days... most likely. So it's been nearly a month since GTA4 launched. I've played a little bit, I'm sure many of you have played a lot more. I'm mostly watching my roommate play though it. In fact, he's playing it as I write this and that got me thinking about today's Q.

What features are missing from Grand Theft Auto 4?

I won't talk about my personal opinions of the game, as I'm sure you are all sick of hearing about them. But I am sure there are things within the game that you wish were improved, or things that you wish were present in the game. There is one thing that would have been completely awesome in GTA, and that's the ability to capture and share video.

Halo 3 introduced one of the best features in multiplayer; saving your games...

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Daily Q: What is your favorite Halo franchise mome...

Halo is a powerful franchise. It is probably the most powerful franchise to have debuted in the past 7 years. Last September when Halo 3 launched no other games came out for a week before or a week after in fear of being overlooked. Some even believe that Halo is the only reason the Xbox brand still exists. Now that is power.

While the multiplayer is where the majority of the fan base spends their time these days, we shouldn't overlook the amazing single-player experience Bungie crafted. Religious themes, action packed scenarios and characters you really care about are all tied into the campaign.  With that said:

Within its single player mode, what is your favorite Halo moment?

I really want to hear story elements or encounters which have always left a memorable impression and given you...

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Daily Q: What's the best controller of all time?

After yesterday's rumble, I figured I'd delve even further into the war of the videogame consoles and ask specifically about controllers.

In my opinion, Nintendo has always been the biggest innovator in videogame controllers. The Big N always seems to think something is wrong with the way we're manipulating what we see on-screen, and then creates a solution for those problems. But have they created the best controllers in videogame history? Or has someone else?

By now, we have seen a great number of controller designs from a multitude of manufacturers, and we all have our favorites. To me, Microsoft has nailed it with the Xbox 360 controller. Its four equidistant and equal-sized face buttons, two analog triggers, two traditional shoulder buttons, an intuitive and functional dual-analo...

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Daily Q: What is your favorite console of all time...

If there was ever a question that could spark a hot internet debate, this is it.

In my time as a gamer, I've seen many videogame consoles come and go, as sure as the sun rises and sets each day. The one thing that remains the same is the fan support. Every console will have its diehard followers and its bitter opponents, but in the end, each one plays games relatively the same way as the others, and it's really the software that counts. So my question to you is this:

Do you have an all-time favorite console? Which one?

I admit that I love asking these questions, yet I hate answering them. Indecision is a killer, so I'm just going to spit something out, even if I may change my mind later. I'll go with the Nintendo 64 because it introduced the third dimension to videogames in the biggest...

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Daily Q: Which videogame character are you?

Much like characters in novels, movies, and other stories, videogame characters can resonate strongly with the playing audience, oftentimes because players identify with certain characteristics that they exhibit or circumstances surrounding them.

I'd like to think that we have all imagined ourselves as one videogame character or another at some point in our lives. At least I hope so, because I don't want to have been the only child on the block prone to such whimsy. Now I'm "all grown up," and my mind has wandered back to the question:

"If you were a videogame character, who would you be?"

I'm only now realizing how difficult a question this is to answer. There are many character who like, but few who I can really identify with. If I had to choose, I might say Wander from Shadow of the C...

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Daily Q: Is GTA worthy of its review scores?

Ok, so we've all had ample time to play Grand Theft Auto 4 and I'm certain some readers have already finished the main story. I have played very little of the game. My roommate however has logged over 20 hours and I have been sitting next to him for probably 18 of them.

Here at GamerNode I have already talked about the perfect 10 review score and how four of the highest rated games ever have been released in the past ten months. Eddie has also chimed in about the review scores for GTA4, believing 10 is a little high, and I agree there.

Then you have GameSpot changing their review from a 9.5 to a 10 after all the other reviews went live. A strange practice indeed, though not an uncommon one for that particular site (Jeff Gerstmann anyone?).

Comparing GTA4 to other GTA games and giving it ...

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Daily Q: What games have you dreamt about?

I need to share this because it's happening to me again. I will wake up with distinct memories from a videogame as if I had been playing it all night, but I know they were only dreams.

What games have you dreamt about?

The first time it ever happened was with Command and Conquer: Generals. I absolutely loved that game and used to play it a lot with my roommates. I had dreams about building my army and gathering resources. I don't remember any fighting, just preparing for battle.

The whole dream was top down, just like the game. It freaked me out when I woke up because I did so much preparation but there was no battle. I, of course, turned on my computer and started playing immediately.

I didn't have an intense videogame dream until about four years later when I picked up Mario Kart DS....

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Daily Q: What is your favorite piece of gaming app...

I know you all have at least one piece of video game clothing. Each of us probably has more than one gaming related tee shirt, even if it says "everyone loves an Italian boy" with a picture of Mario on it.

I have more gaming tee shirts than I care to share with the class at this juncture. But quantity isn't something I'm concerned with today. No. Today we're talking quality.

What is your favorite piece of gaming apparel?

I want to hear stories this time around. I want to know what your favorite article of gaming clothing is and why you like it so much. If it's a Pac Man tee shirt you stole from Billy Mitchell tell me you stole it from Billy Mitchell.

Setting aside the fact that it's gaming related, my favorite piece of clothing is my Legend of Zelda track jacket. It's green with white s...

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Daily Q: Do you LAN?

Social interaction is becoming more and more a part of gaming today. Where previously console games had a max player limit of two, now games like Warhawk can put 32 players in one game over the good old Internet. While large multiplayer games are still a fairly recent development for consoles, PC gamers have been doing that for quite some time.

I would say that most people play their games online, the birth of Live in conjunction with high speed Internet really helped move that technology. But everyone does that. I want to know about actual human interaction.

Do you ever get a bunch of people over for a LAN party?

Some of the best times I've had with my friends where on nights where there were a couple of Xbox's and a couple of televisions crammed into a teeny tiny apartment. While playi...

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Daily Q: How many hours a week do you game?

I don't know about the rest of you but my days are pretty hectic. Aside from writing for the good old GamerNode I also hold a regular old 40 hour a week job. It's not necessarily 9-5 but it is still 40 hours every week. Pile on top of that the additional 8-10 I do at the third job I have and, well, I kind of run out of time to do things.

On average how many hours a week do you spend playing videogames?

I can say whole-heartedly I spend 30 minutes on my lunch break playing my DS, so that's a measly 2.5 hours a week. Sometimes that's it for the whole week. I try to get in an hour or two of console gaming on a nightly basis, but it usually works out to every other night.

So I'd say I spend about 7 hours a week gaming on average. Man, getting old sucks. I used to spend 7 hours a day gaming ...

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Daily Q: What was the worst game you ever played?

Let's face it. We all have gone to the "bargain bin" to fish out some questionable games because they were cheap or on sale. Other times, we make an impulse buy on a game without really knowing too much about it. But regardless, we all have played a game that literally makes our lives less enjoyable and shortened our life spans by a couple of precious hours.

For me, my Alamo for games was IHRA Racing 2 for the PS2 several years ago. Now the strangest part of all of this was that this game was in its second edition. If the second edition was an improvement over the first one, I can only imagine how bad the first one was. Interestingly enough, the game was developed by none other than Bethesda Softworks. I'm glad they dropped racing games and concentrated on little games you might have heard ...

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Daily Q: What is your favorite fighting franchise?...

Fighting games seem cyclical in nature, rising and falling in popularity by an invisible schedule.

In the early 90s Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat reigned supreme (with King of Fighters and Virtua Fighter on the up and up), then other games took over, then Mortal Kombat came back, then it left, then Virtua Fighter got popular again, etc. But no matter how good (or bad) recent titles in a series are, all gamers have that one fighting series that they value above all others.

What is your favorite fighting franchise?

There are many to choose from. Do you enjoy the over-the-top fatalities of Mortal Kombat? Do you like the licensing of Marvel vs Capcom? Are you a technical purist giggling with joy when you play Virtua Fighter? Are you one of those people who considers Smash Bros. a fighting g...

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