Opinion: Call of Duty needs to take a break

The competitive first person shooter is a favorite type of game amongst most people that play games. Almost 9 years ago, Activision teamed up with Infinity Ward to create a groundbreaking FPS hit that took the world of gaming by storm. With its smooth gameplay accompanied by great shooting mechanics and a captivating campaign, Call of Duty rose to the top as one of the most played FPS shooters.

What really made this game something special was the multiplayer. The multiplayer pitted to teams against each other, each fighting for different nations. The multiplayer was pretty basic until the release of  Call of Duty: United Offensive, an expansion pack that expanded mainly on the multiplayer feature of the game. The expansion offered a ranking system, along with new game modes such as domination, base assault and the most traditional game mode, capture the flag.

Call of Duty: Black Ops

Since then, multiple CoD games have been released, each improving upon the other until the release of Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare. The game was released in 2007 and it was a big competitor of Microsoft's FPS Halo 3. Modern Warfare went on to sell over 1.5 million copies in its first month of release and won numerous awards from game critics. The game became a huge success for Activision and Infinity Ward, but it also became the beginning of a formula that went on to become overused.

After MW released, Activision teamed up with the other CoD developer Treyarch to release Call of Duty: World at War. The game ended up being the last WWII installment of the game, and it looked and played exactly like Modern Warfare.The only thing that made this title worth buying was the Nazi Zombies game mode that could be unlocked after completing the campaign. The next year Infinity Ward released Call of Duty: Modern Wafare 2, which was pretty much a $60 DLC package. The game offered new weapons, maps, game modes and a campaign, but it still looked and played exactly like its predecessor. Then the next year Treyarch released Call of Duty: Black Ops, and the next year Infinity Ward released Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 both of which had new features, but still looked and played just like the games that came before them.

Modern Warfare 3

One could make the argument that if it isn't broke, don't fix it, but I've become bored with the series. After MW 2, I refused to purchase any more of these games because they just end up technically being the same every year. Sure they offer cool new campaigns and new multiplayer maps amongst other features, but the overall feel of the game never changes. I used to be a huge fan of this series, but now I can't play more than a couple rounds of multiplayer before getting bored. This series has become similar to a sports games series. Sure they offer roster changes and some cool features in every installment, but for the most part, core gameplay and presentation doesn't change.

It really doesn't matter though because people keep buying the games and making these people millions when they are hardly doing any work. It's obvious that the people in charge at Activision, Treyarch and Infinity Ward are more businessmen than gamers because if they were gamers, they wouldn't release the same recycled bullshit every year. As long as they are still making their money, they don't care how groundbreaking they can make a game. If Valve, Rockstar or Bethesda were making CoD games, they wouldn't just recycle the same game over and over again because they are gamers that make games for gamers.

Modern Warfare

What I suggest is that Activision and Infinity Ward should take complete control of the series and take some time to make a new and refreshing installment to the series. I know Treyarch is planning on releasing Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 this year but after that, there should be a CoD hiatus where only Activision and Infinity Ward come together and make something more groundbreaking. A good example of this is the Halo series because Bungie would take 3 years in between releases to create a game that looks, plays and feels different that the one before it.




Hopefully in soon time, people will actually come to their senses and stop throwing their money into a game that is essentially the same as the one they bought the year before. Hopefully more people will take a stand and motivate these developers to push themselves to actually make a great game that I know they have the potential to make. Though the games are still great, they are just stale like a moldy old loaf of bread. I really hope that in the future, CoD games can break from this cycle they have succumb to and provide me with a new and refreshing experience that will make me feel like my money was well spent.

Why Dark Souls is so great

Anyone who has played From Software's 2011 Action/RPG Dark Souls will probably recommend it only to those who take failure lightly. Since the game came out during the Fall of 2011, I wasn't able to play it right away because I was playing other titles that came out around that time, the most notable being Skyrim. Now that I am about halfway through my first playthrough, I am upset with myself for not picking this game up sooner.

The game has a very minimalistic plot, something about how dragons controlled the earth until the Fire of Lords and the human race for an unidentifiable reason. Soon after, four powerful entities (Gravelord Nito, the Witch of Izalith, Gwyn Lord of Sunlight, and the Furtive Pygmy) emerged from a newly kindled flame, harnessed the Souls of Lords to fight and overthrow the dragons.

The game starts with your character sitting in a cell in an undead asylum. The character is undead and begins their quest by taking on objectives like ringing the bells in each bell tower, to eventually fighting the four powerful entities mentioned earlier. You aren't really pointed in any specific direction. There are some areas where enemies are much weaker than in others, but don't be surprised if you end up in an area fighting enemies that will 2-hit you if you aren't careful.

Piece of cake...

The visual styling of the game is breathtaking. The game really shoots for a gothic and romantic ambiance and delivers by creating a dark, gloomy atmosphere. Lighting is perfect, your character is always lit up no matter how dark the area is, and flames provide a small radius of light and cast shadows of objects on the ground or walls. Structures are incredibly detailed and awe inspiring. In many areas, there are winding, narrow staircases and tight, cramped corridors that really add to the gothic lore of the game. Your character is fully customizable and looks great. There are many different armor sets and some of them look really nice and shiny when worn by your character. One thing that really impressed me is how I will be in an area and look out in the distance to see an area that I had been to just minutes before. The area will look a little hazy in the distance, really giving you a sense of progress and encouraging you to keep pushing forward.

The real draw to this game is the gameplay. Never in my life have I played a game so difficult and I have played a lot of difficult games. The game has no set difficulty, but in the beginning you choose a class and some classes are tougher to play than others (I chose the thief because of the back-stab boost and the master key).

Combat is an unreal experience like I have never experienced before. The game requires you to be extremely careful, learn your opponents attack patterns, and strike when you feel the time is right. One screw up and you can find yourself poisoned, cursed, or missing half of your health bar. Spamming attacks is not an option because stamina plays a key role in the game. Attack to much and your stamina will be depleted, leaving you unable to block or dodge. The combat is pretty slow paced, but it is extremely rewarding, especially when you take down a boss that has murdered you over and over again.

You may not believe it, but this boss is extremely easy

RPG elements are on point making this game a fully loaded role playing game. Your character has a variety of different attributes that need to be leveled throughout the game. Weapons and armor can also be leveled and reinforced making them more protective and deadly. There are also a lot of special items that you can attain from defeating bosses or scavenging through the various environments this game has to offer. Of course there is also magic. Spells can be bought off of certain NPCs and upgraded just like weapons and armor. In order to level your character or their spells and gear, you need to have souls. Souls seem to be the main form of currency in the world of Dark Souls. Players are also able to join covenants and each covenant has its different perks and special items that can be purchased.

You use souls to buy items spells, and gear from merchants as well. Souls can be attained from killing enemies and eventually you can feed unwanted items to a monstrous creature in exchange for souls. Be careful with your souls though because if you die, you will lose all of them unless you have a special ring on. The game will allow you to go back to the spot of your last death and retrieve those souls, but if you die in the process, they are gone forever.

Most of the leveling actions can be done at bonfires. Bonfires are safe havens in the game in which your character will regain health and health items which are called estus flasks. You also level up at bonfires and once you have the necessary items, you can manage your inventory, upgrade weapons, manage spells, and restore your characters humanity. When you die, you will respawn back at the last bonfire you rested at, so be sure to rest at each one you see. The only downside to that is, enemies will respawn after you rest at a bonfire unless they are an area boss or mini boss.

A really cool feature is online capabilities of this game. Players will be able to either help or completely troll other players by leaving messages written with the Orange Guidance Soapstone item. Some people will write really helpful messages, while others will write messages that will promise weapons, merchants or bonfires ahead, but will really lead to a tough enemy or a fall that will kill them. Players can also summon other players to their game to help them out with a tough boss battle or an area they can't seem to get through.  

Looks like a nice place for a Summer home

The bottom line is, I fucking love this game. This game does survival horror better than survival horror games. There are moments when I will turn a corner with my shield up, anticipating a surprise attack from a powerful enemy. Areas and enemies are disturbing, sometimes I'll look over to find a pile of rotting dead bodies in a corner or get in a fight with some kind of horrible monstrosity. When I'm in a close call and am about to die, I have never experienced such tenseness as I dodge my enemies attacks and try to gain some space so I can down an estus flask and get back in the fight. After playing this game I am going to play its predecessor Demon Souls, and that's a guarantee. This game is without a doubt amongst my favorite releases of last year, it is just a shame that I got such a late start on it.

Prototype 2 review

As a follow up to the 2009 title, Prototype 2 does a great job improving upon itself. The first game in the series had a lot of cool features going on like the ability to transform into other people and scale the skyscrapers of New York City, but it fell on its face when it came to its low quality visuals, awful mission structure and frustrating combat system.

However, Prototype 2 fixes most of those problems and actually makes a decent game out of a really cool concept. In this title, the protagonist from the first game, Alex Mercer, is now the antagonist and causer of the Blacklight virus, a virus that has devastated the city of New York. The new protagonist is named James Heller, and he is hellbent on avenging his family who died after attaining the Blacklight virus. The dialogue is fair and the pre-rendered cutscenes are stylish displaying in black and white with highlights of red. These short cutscenes are short and concise, allowing the players to get back into the action.

The control scheme is much improved on in this game, allowing you to perform stylish maneuvers much more easily than in the last game. When you can effectively dash up buildings and zip from one skyscraper to the next, it makes the map feel much smaller and easier to navigate. This comes especially in handy when you are caught in a sticky situation and need an effective way to escape.

Geronimo!

The combat is much improved on as well. First and foremost, the ability to defend yourself has been much improved upon. In the first game, you were subjected to getting juggled by an array of missiles and punches, but in Prototype 2, the shield can be your best friend. It never breaks and if you time the deflection at the right moment, you can send projectile weapons back at your enemies. You can also shield bash with it and flip your enemies around, exposing their backs for an attack. The improved defensive mechanics make it so you can stay in battle for longer and not have to constantly remove yourself to regain health.

As for the offensive side of combat, there have been some new additions to your array of powers. One of the powers allows you to extend tendrils from your arm and hold your enemies in air while you slash at them with your blades. Another attack is a chargeable black hole attack where a black hole spawns and shoots out tentacles that pull debris towards it, taking out anybody that is in the way. Instead of having a cumbersome weapon wheel, powers are now mapped to face buttons, which makes changing up your weapons much more smooth.

Bring it...

The mission structure isn't as tedious as the last game, providing a more enjoyable playthrough.You can just blow by the game by doing only story missions, but it is wise to do side missions, especially the Blacknet ones. Side missions will offer more mutation points and unique mutation upgrades. There are also bonus objectives for every mission that will award extra points upon completion. The games final boss is also an enjoyable one, forcing the player to use all of the powers and abilities that they've learned.



This game is a vast improvement on the first, but I still wouldn't recommend spending the money to purchase it. Although it does improve much on the first, it is still just a good experience. The story is kind of dull and there really isn't much reason to play through it a second time. It helps that the graphics make the game look like it should be of this generation of gaming, unlike the first one, but the visuals still aren't very awe inspiring. If you're a fan of open world games where your character has nearly unlimited power, save yourself the money and just rent this game.

Batman: Arkham City DLC to feature more of Harley Quinn

Batman: Arkham City was easily one of the top five games to be released in 2011. Now, Rocksteady Studios is adding more depth to the game by releasing a DLC named Harley Quinn's Revenge.

Warner Bros confirmed the DLC after rumors began to emerge because PS3 trophies for the game began to pop up. The DLC will be about a two hour addition to the game and will feature Batman and Robin as playable characters. A quote from Warner Bros studios provided by IGN states,

"The Harley Quinn's Revenge mission sends players back into Arkham City to face their final challenge as they interchange between playing as both Batman and Robin. Gamers must utilize each of the characters' unique combat and investigative skills to uncover Harley's vengeful plan and shut the gates on the urban mega-prison forever. In addition to experiencing a new storyline, fans can explore new environments and face-off against Harley's all new gang of thugs."

New, more gothic looking Harley

The DLC will be included in the Batman: Arkham City game of the year edition that will be released on Xbox 360 and PS3, May 29th. This is about four months before the game will be available to those in Europe and Australia, so fans of the series in North America should feel lucky for the close release date. The package will also include a variety of batman skins, Nightwing and Robin packs, the Catwoman story pack, challenge maps, and even a download of the Batman: Year One movie from PSN or the XBL Marketplace.

There is no price on the GOTY edition as of yet, but if it ends up being $60 and you haven't played this marvelous game yet, do yourself a favor and take advantage of this package.

Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 will come with 3D capabilities

Japanese promotion of the Pokemon Black and White 2

Although Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 are Nintendo DS games, they will now be able to be played on the Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo is releasing an upgrade that will include a few apps that will use the 3DS to it's full 3d potential.

The first app will be an augmented reality game that will allow the players to hunt down pokemon in whatever area that you are in, whether it be your living room or basement, capture them, and use them in your game. Nintendo also plans on releasing a fully upgraded version of the pokedex in the update.

Augmented reality app being played in a living room

According to Gameinformer.com, Nintendo revealed these apps during a press conference that covered Japanese software and releases. These have not been confirmed in North America yet, but they will most likely make their way over to the states, around the same time Pokemon Black 2 and White 2 are released.

God of War: Ascension revealed

Lately there have been rumors circulating that God of War IV was going to be announced. There were even pictures revealing a store in South Africa that was already taking pre-orders on the game. Originally I didn't think there was much sense in making another God of War game seeing that Kratos had killed all of the remaining gods in GoW III, but a prequel never occurred to me.

That is exactly what Sony announced this morning as the revealed the newest addition to their trademark series. The new game won't be called God of War IV because it isn't progressing the story of the series. Instead it will be named God of War: Ascension and will be a prequel, telling the story of Kratos before he devoted his life to murdering the gods.


Amazon.com released box art and a trailer today as well, shortly after Sony announced the game. The trailer features no gameplay, but is narrated by the Titan Gaia who talks about how "there was a time before Kratos became the monster known as the Ghost of Sparta" and how "there was a time before something other than rage consumed him." Most likely the game will have the player control Kratos when he was the leading the Spartan army, before he was tricked by Ares and had the Blades of Chaos burned into his flesh.

Sony says the game will be the most ambitious title in the series and they are hoping to push a release by Spring 2013.

Opinion: The failure of motion control gaming

It has been about 5 and a half years since Nintendo released their revolutionary console, the Nintendo Wii. As we all know, the Nintendo Wii was the first video game console that featured motion control as its main feature. Since the Wii, Microsoft  and Sony have tried to come out with their own motion control technologies that have been underwhelming to say the least.

As most of us have seen from the Wii, motion control gaming can be really fun when done right. At first there were issues with the receptiveness of the Nintendo Wii's motion detector, but that was mostly fixed with a great piece of hardware called the Wii Motion Plus. After the Wii Motion Plus was released, there weren't too many issues with receptiveness. It gave gamers greater control over the Wiimote so there aren't many issues with characters sporadically flailing around or characters not responding to certain Wiimote commands.

Though the Wii is a great amount of fun, there just isn't a strong library of games on it. Due to the low processing power of the console, developers have shied away from developing games on the console because they want to develop something that will look better and run smoother on a more powerful platform. There is also the problem that the Wii isn't really geared towards the greater demographic of video game players. Most owners of Nintendo Wiis are younger children, or adults that can be considered "over the hill." That also makes developers not want to make games on Wii because there is a strong chance that their games won't be bought because most hardcore gamers don't own a Wii or choose it as their favorite platform.

Kinect Adventure: fun for all of 2 hours

This opened the doors for Sony and Microsoft to create their own form of motion gaming and make a success out of it. It has been about a year and a half since Microsoft released the Kinect and Sony released the move, and there really hasn't been anything that has impressed me. The games developed specifically for the hardware feel gimmicky and underdeveloped, and when other games feature motion control or voice control capabilities, they are never cool enough for me to shell out $150 for a Kinect or $80 for a PS move bundle.

I first played the Kinect at a friends house right around the time it launched. At first I did have a lot of fun playing around with the voice control in the menu, barking commands at his Xbox 360 and having it comply to my demands. Then I started playing a Kinect launch title simply titled Kinect Adventures. I will admit that I did have fun for the first couple of hours that I played, but it came to a point when I realized that I was essentially doing the same thing over and over again. I was sure that this tedium wouldn't be consistent in other titles, but I was wrong. It came to the point where I was playing games that were either crapper ripoffs of Wii Sports, dance games, or games marketed towards children. The few games that I was remotely interested in were Kinect Star Wars and Rise of Nightmares, which to my disappointment were both terrible. Sure the Kinect is used in certain titles like Mass Effect 3 and Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, but even though the features are cool, they are hardly captivating enough for me to spend $100-$150 on a Kinect.

Kinect Star Wars... the games plays as terribly as it looks

I have spent less time with the PS move, but from what I've experienced, it is inferior to the Kinect and that is saying something. With the a smaller library of games supported by the Move and the same unimpressive types of games, the Move has struggled more than the Kinect. I must admit that I do like that they incorporated the move into games like MLB 2k12 and NBA 2k12, but they're going to have to do more than just sports games in order to appeal to a more hardcore gaming crowd.

I know I'm being harsh seeing that these pieces of hardware have only been around for such a little time, but it's time for developers to step up and make great titles that use these devices to their full potential. The PS move and the Kinect have the potential to be so much better than the Wii. The motion control is just as good, if not better, and the consoles they run on are a lot more powerful. Sure the Nintendo has amazing exclusive titles like Mario, Zelda, and Donkey Kong, but those have been the only titles worth playing on the console. If developers can step up and make some truly great games that take full advantage of the Kinect and PS move's capabilities, then motion control gaming won't be seen as such a failure and may become something more exciting.

New details on NCAA 13 cover

Heisman winner Robert Griffen III will be sharing the limelight with 1988 Heisman winner and NFL great, Barry Sanders on the cover of the upcoming NCAA football game.

RG3 was a shoe in for the cover, being the winner of the most recent Heisman trophy, but choosing Barry Sanders was more of a process. Several past Heisman winners were in the contest which asked fans to choose whichever player they thought deserved a spot on the new cover. Hershel Walker was amongst one of the past Heisman winners that Sanders beat out for the cover spot.

The cover shows RG3 dropping back in the pocket and a young Barry Sanders dashing behind him. The ball is placed in a spot that makes it look as if RG3 and Sanders are both holding it. A picture of the cover is featured below, so tell me what you all think about it.

The game will be released on July 10, for Xbox 360 and PS3.

New Mario Bros title to be premiered at E3

According to a GameInformer.com post, Nintendo will be showing off a new Mario Bros title for their upcoming console Wii U.

Nintendo confirmed this today and allegedly, Shigeru Miyamoto told Spanish newspaper, El Mundo, that he will be showing off the new title at E3. This was all cloudy until Nintendo released a statement to Eurogamer, confirming the rumor.

"In a recent interview, Mr. Miyamoto confirmed that a new Super Mario Bros. game for the Wii U system will be shown at this year's E3 Expo," a Nintendo spokesperson said. "We'll have more to announce about our plans for the E3 Expo at a later date."

E3 starts on June 5, 2012, in Los Angeles and I personally can't wait to see what Mario Bros on the Wii U has to offer. 

Star Wars: The Old Republic gets huge update

If there already wasn't enough to do in EA and LucasArts MMORPG, they decided to give gamers even more with a new update.

The update is simply called Game Update 1.2 and it will come jam-packed with features that will make the interactive experience more enjoyable, and give it even more depth. In the update, players will be able to link with their other created characters in a family tree. This will give them access to special new abilities. Other additions include a Galactic Trade Network terminal on user ships, new races, guild banks, and bonuses that will allow players to strengthen their relationships with companions.

There will also be content that will appeal to players with higher level characters. One of them is titled Flashpoint: Lost Island, which continues the story from its predecessor from update 1.1. Players have to survive on a mysterious island where they will search for clues to try an uncover the mystery of the Rakghoul virus outbreak. The flashpoint will be available to Imperial or Republic squads of 4, and characters must be level 50.

Next there is Operation: Explosive Conflict, where players will be sent to the planet Denova. On Denova, players will encounter groups of mercenaries and traitors that are selling a particular explosive. The explosive is a mineral called baradium. The point of the operation is for players to fight through hordes of enemies to take control of the planet and its resources. It is for eight to sixteen Imperial or Republic players with characters at level 50.

Lastly, there is Warzone: Novare Coast,  a PvP addition that will face two teams off against one and other. The main purpose of the game is for teams to take control of the mortar positions, and blow their opponents bases to a pile of rubbish. The warzone will pit Republic vs Empire and will be available for all characters levels 10 and up.

That's not all they have to offer though. New players and subscribers will receive the Tauntum Ram Pet, active subscribers that have reached level 50 on at least one character will receive 30 days of play time with no charge, and players with inactive accounts are invited to play update 1.2 for seven days with no charge.

If this isn't enough content to get inactive players to reactivate their accounts, then I don't know what EA and LucasArts will do when it's time for another update.

Skyrim to add kinect-powered dragon shouts

If it wasn't already fun enough to imitate the dragon shouts from last years smash hit, the Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, now Bethesda plans to release DLC that will allow players to put their Kinects to use and use their voices.

The best part about the DLC is that it is free. Usually free DLC doesn't come as packed with content, but Bethesda stated that there will be a full list of 200 voice commands. This means that players will be able to do more than just voice dragon shouts. Players will also be able to use the Kinect to command their followers, equip hotkeys, and control all menus.

Other non-kinect features of the DLC include special map functions, more hotkey options, and the ability to sort items in your inventory by name, weight, and value. The actual list of voice commands will be available before the update goes live, giving Kinect owners time to memorize and perfect the commands.

The update is scheduled to come out later this month, so players will be able to let their Thu'um be heard in no time.

DmC preview: new look, new Dante, same style

It's time for a new Devil May Cry game, but this time Capcom and Ninja Theory are taking the game in a new direction. First and foremost, Dante has a completely different look. Dante has gone from having the look of a guitar player in an emo pop-punk band to having the look of a jager bomb swigging, fist pumping club bro. What hasn't changed about Dante is his corny personality, full of cheesy one-liners and his stereotypical bad boy attitude.

Another aspect of the game that looks like it hasn't changed much is the combat. Devil May Cry has been established as a game series with excellent, fast paced, stylish combat. In the new edition, players are encouraged to perform stylish combos without repeating them over and over again. There is a style meter on the top right corner of the screen where you can see your style meter increase after pulling off nice combos, and decrease if you are not being creative enough with your murdering.

In the 20 minute demo shown by Ninja Theory, they showed off 3 weapons that Dante will be able to use in order to slay his enemies. Ninja Theory stated that Dante will be able to wield his trusty sword, Rebellion, both angel and demon weapons, and that his trusty handguns, Ebony & Ivory. Players will still be able to use the weapons to perform long combos while trying to not get hit, and juggle enemies in the air.

The game begins after a long night of partying for Dante. The media and government believes that Dante is a terrorist and it is clearly stated in a newscast playing in Dante's apartment while he lies naked on his bed. A Demon then rises from the sea and the real world becomes a twisted version of itself as demons rise from the ground and spawn from the walls.

This world is called Limbo and is where the game will be set. Limbo is a version of the real world, but instead is inhabited by demons. These demons and the realm itself will try their damnedest to crush Dante. Walls will close in, floors will crumble and shift, and paths will be sealed, causing new ones to open. The cool part is that everything that happens in Limbo will affect the real world. For example, in the beginning of the game a giant demon unhinges a Ferris wheel and throws it at Dante. In the real world, that will happen too, but people will think that the Ferris wheel unhinged itself as it rolls around the area causing massive amounts of destruction.

The game looks fantastic and could possibly be one of the better titles in the series. The game looks similar to the others, but just with a refreshing new look. Sure I prefer the look of the old Dante to the new one, but the change doesn't bother me all that much. The new world looks really cool, I like the idea that it will try to trap and destroy Dante as if the demons weren't enough of a handful already. It looks just a stylish and even more fun than the previous installments, so I don't get why so many fans of the series are giving so much negative attention to it. As a long time fan of the series, I can't wait for this game to come out. The thing about that is, there has been no release date set for the title, so many DMC fans as well as I could be waiting for quite some time. The game will be available on PS3 and Xbox 360.

The future of game stores

The future of game stores is beginning to look bleak as more and more locations are beginning to shutter their windows, lock their doors, and pack up their merchandise, leaving nothing but empty shelves behind. Game stores are facing heavy competition due to the digital age we live in where gamers can simply download games to their PC or console, and play.

The benefits of downloading games is that your gaming platform won't sound like a garbage disposal while running the game, and quicker load screens which is a huge benefit because everyone hates those pesky load screens. However, do the pros of downloading games outweigh the excitement of going to a video game store and coming home with something real in your hand.? I guess it really depends on the gamer. I personally like having a game that comes fully loaded in a nice package with cool cover art.

It seems that others don't feel the same way. Just last week, Best Buy closed around 50 stores in order to open smaller mobile stores. Not only Best Buy has been affected though, GameStop has closed a wide variety of locations (including one close to me -_-) and European game store simply named GAME has gone completely out of business.

Then future looks even more bleak Developers are trying to get rid of the used games market by making games only available for download, or even package them with unique numerical codes that players must enter in order to play. The code will be registered as used, so it won't work on another person's PC or console. It is even rumored that the next-generation Xbox will not come equipped with a disc tray.

In the end, this could hurt developers. Sure they won't have to give a percentage of their sales to retail stores, but right now they are only giving them 20% per each purchase of a new game, along with a few other minor fees they tack on. In the end developers are still getting around $40 per purchase of a new game, and they have an outlet that promotes and sells their products for them. If game stores are closed there may be financial backlash towards developers, causing their sales to tank.


Game stores are vital to the industry, as well as used games. If developers go through with their whole no used games campaign, it may hurt them more than it helps. I can't even count how many times I bought a new game by trading in a bunch of old games that I didn't play anymore. Not only is it vital to the gaming industry, it is vital to gamer culture.