My Dreamcast Retrospective

The 10 year anniversary of the Sega Dreamcast is close approaching and I wanted to go back and reflect on my own saga with the system over those last ten years. To be honest, although the system only was in production for a few years, I have had quite an interaction with it. Since it was a part of my life over this last decade I wanted to share those memories with everyone.

When the Dreamcast was first made playable to the public I was hooked. I remember going to the EB and Compucentre in the local mall in my hometown (the mall was Rideau Centre in Ottawa, Canada) and see crowds of teenagers hovered around the console's kiosk. Both stores had the system on display and both had different games for people to try out. Although Compucentre used a specific Sega Cabinet, the guys over at EB decided to set-up theirs on a separate TV and would often change games every few days to show off the variety of games available for the system.

At the time, I was working at the Pizza Hut/Taco Bell combo restaurant at the mall so I often was able to spend the 10-15 minutes before work attempting to play whatever was on display. I clearly remember watching kids gawk over Ready 2 Rumble, Sonic Adventure and Soul Calibur and even challenging with the Fishing game which now escapes me. It was so nice as the system was clearly better than what else was available on the market. I really wanted to get the system, but of course as a high school student buying one was very difficult.

At that time, the Cdn dollar was really poor in comparison to the US dollar. The Cdn dollar was worth about 65 cents US so that essentially meant that stores in here initially sold the system for roughly 299.99, a hundred dollars more than the US 199.99 price tag. Because of that high price point and the fact that the PlayStation had dropped to a much more affordable price of roughly 199.99 (this was when it was roughly 129.99 USD), I decided to go that route and buy Sony's console instead.

I never regretted my purchase of the PlayStation, but that didn't stop me from still playing the Dreamcast whenever I had the opportunity to. Although none of my friends owned the system, I still had all the videogame stores focusing a lot of attention on the system. Whenever a new title was released, from Crazy Taxi, Jet Grind Radio, Metropolis Street Racer and others I always had the opportunity to try them out and think to myself '...if I could afford this, I would buy one.'

It wasn't until one random day sometime in 2001 (pretty certain it was late in the year) when I finally managed to purchase a Dreamcast. This was already at the time when the system was slowly dying away and stores were reducing the price to get rid of them. While walking through a Future Shop (Canada's original Best Buy) I saw them selling the Dreamcast with 3 games for about 99.99. It was a Sports Bundle, but not the Black Dreamcast one, and considering I am a sports fan, it wasn't a hard sell for me.

I didn't bother to purchase anything else at the time since I wanted to just take the system home and give it a spin. During that summer I had saved up a crap load of money and traded in my PlayStation and nearly all my non-essential games to get the heavily expensive PlayStation 2 (bless that horrible exchange rate at the time). This was also the first time I was the owner of two systems at one time (now I own every current system), so I was a little eager at the idea and unsure how I would juggle the two. Once I decided to simply connect the Dreamcast through my VCR, I was set and began playing. It did not take long for me to fall right back in love.

Although I couldn't save my games at the time, I was playing as many games of NFL and NBA as I could. I absolutely loved the way both games felt. NFL was really enjoyable but it was NBA's weird free throw mechanic that I still remember today. For those unfamiliar, what Visual Concepts did at the time was have you gently press on the controller's trigger buttons to line-up two arrows over the basket. It was weird at first, but if you were steady, sinking free-throws was a breeze.

After falling in love with what I had in my basement, I went hunting for games and other items for the system. It started by purchasing a VMU so I could save my games and then I began trying to buy games. Although the system was affordable, games had become hard to find. I went all over the place trying to find games like Ready 2 Rumble, Phantasy Star Online and others but unfortunately I couldn't find any of those. Generic games and those that did not satisfy my taste buds but were readily available, but I wanted a game that was deemed 'A Must-Own Dreamcast' title. After all my searching, there was only one key Dreamcast title I managed to find and buy and that was Shenmue.

I know Shenmue has gotten its fair share of slack over the years, but I still remember it fondly for what it was...a game unlike anything else at the time. Yes, some aspects of it I didn't like, such as the relatively short time in the day to do things, but it was still a blast and a game I will never forget.

Even with my love for the system, I was still relatively young and dumb and wanted the best that was available. I would later trade in my Dreamcast and the small collection of four games to help me purchase an Xbox, which was impressing me at the time with Splinter Cell and the Jet Set Radio Future/Sega GT bundle that was on sale. I didn't think the trade would affect me, but deep down I regretted getting rid of the system.

I knew I was 'heart-broken' when in late 2004 I began to reminisce about the Dreamcast and how much I really enjoyed it when I owned it. I was making 'good' money at my current job so I began to spend cash more freely. I was able to afford school still and had plenty of expendable cash so I thought about looking to buying the system yet again, but finding one was now a problem. No stores carried them and even those places that did offer used systems were often in really poor condition or over-priced. Thankfully eBay existed and I began looking online for people selling new and used Dreamcast units.

Before buying the Dreamcast, I never purchased anything from eBay. I created an account years before with the thought of maybe one day buying or selling something, but that day didn't come until I won a bid for a Dreamcast. Being so glad that I 'won' I didn't bother to check all my vitals and simply paid using PayPal to get the system.

When I first registered my eBay account I was living at one address but at the time of the purchase I had moved. I completely forgot about this fact until it was nearly a month and I did not get my Dreamcast. When I e-mailed the person I bought it from and he sent me an shipping confirmation I noticed the address he shipped to was wrong. I began to worry that the people who now lived at my old place would either refuse the package or 'steal' it.

I drove to my old place and explained the situation. They promised me that nothing had arrived but that they would contact me once they did. I was relieved but still a little concerned. It was already a month and regardless of the seller shipping from the Seattle area to Ottawa it should not have taken as long as it did. Thankfully, the people who now lived in my old place dropped by our new home and gave my sister the pick-up slip. I quickly drove to the local post office, paid the custom brokerage fee and was finally the owner of a Dreamcast for the second time.

When I knew I was getting the system I went out and started hunting for games. During this time I only managed to buy four games: Crazy Taxi, Tony Hawk 2, Resident Evil Code: Veronica and of course, Shenmue. It was nice to be able to go back and re-enjoy the games that I loved for so long. I was a fan of Crazy Taxi in the arcade while Tony Hawk 2 was over-played by me when I originally had it for the PlayStation. I continued to hunt for games to get but finding ones in good condition in Ottawa was a tough request. I wanted to buy games through eBay, but often the prices were too high or the added shipping costs made a worth while purchase seem like a rip-off.

I moved to Vancouver in 2007 and when I did, I could only manage to fit a PlayStation 2 Slim in my luggage. Because of that, I was forced in leaving both my Dreamcast (which I did play with from time to time) and my 360 with at my mother's place. While I ended up replacing my 360 with one purchased here, I always wanted my Dreamcast back in my possession. It wasn't until 2008 when a family friend, flying to Vancouver, managed to bring it with them. It was pretty funny since the suitcase that they had for me essentially only contained the Dreamcast (in it's original box) and a few bottles of alcohol (I had quite the collection back in Ottawa). I really thought getting it cross-country would be a problem, but that was not the case.

I still have the Dreamcast to this day but unfortunately I have not given it the attention it deserves. I have been tempted to plug it in and play a quick game or Crazy Taxi or experience Code: Veronica again, but due to time constraints I have not. At the time of this writing, my Dreamcast is still in its original box, neatly put away in my closet. It wouldn't take me long to un-box it and start playing.

The Dreamcast has been a part of my life for a good part of the last ten years and I can honestly say I still love reading related content and often head over to eBay to see if any tempting purchases are available. I always wanted to buy something that would allow me to either play non-NTSC games (eg. Shemue 2) or games that are affordable online (eg. through places like PlayAsia and/or eBay). I am planning on take it out of the closest in the lead-up to official 10 year anniversary and playing it for a bit, I might even go back and play through Shenmue from start to finish.

I didn't want to go back into the history of the unit itself as it's already been done time and time again, but I wanted to show just what its affects have been on me. I hope this leads others to reflect on their experience with the system. Do you remember the launch date and struggling with FF VIII fans at your local game store? Were you like me and ended up buying it twice? Are you one of those few people who continues to play their Dreamcast on a regular basis? There are certainly great stories out there. Let's remember the good days of this once great system; hopefully at the same time, those who never experienced the Dreamcast will understand why exactly it was such a cult favorite.

E3 2009 Highlights

My first Electronic Entertainment Expo has come and gone and while it has been claimed to be the best one in years, it's memorable for so much more. Not only did I get to experience so much as a videogame writer I got to see what I can expect from myself as a person.

I was able to learn what is required from a successful member of the press.

1. Do not make yourself look like a fan. If you happened to have seen images from E3 you there is one clear fact that separates the Gaming Press from Gamers, shwag. The press knows not to walk around with huge Inflatable Wiimotes from Nyko or wearing Ninja Turtles headbands. Yes, companies will give you promotional material, but you know the difference between taking it and putting it away and flaunting it. No one will take you serious when you're asking them about a game when you're wearing a Battlefield 1943 T-Shirt. The same goes with the people you see. This is my opinion, but as a new writer in the field, I still view myself as a fan and while at E3 I saw many people I wanted to go up and talk to. I saw people like Jeff Gerstmann, Jeff Green, Robert Ashley, Ryan Scott and Dan Hsu (Ryan and Dan sat beside me during the Miyamoto Panel) but I didn't try to disturb them and go 'Oh man, I really love your writing...' They are there working, just as I am. Maybe when I cover PAX in September I will be more inclined to chit-chat with them considering the relaxed environment, but during E3 hours, it just didn't seem right.
2. You will not have time for everything. Even with essentially three full days attending E3, I did not manage to get to play everything that I would have liked to have. I wanted to sample the God of War III demo, but the line-up was too long, the same goes for The Legend of Zelda: Spirit Tracks. Even with Press credentials, the line-ups are too long and scheduled meetings are always more important.
3. Promptness is appreciated by all. Just like in the real world, if you are scheduled to meet with a developer or studio, be sure to get their early. It's just common sense. They'll appreciate it and more often that not, they will be willing to start the meeting earlier and/or show you more.
4. Treat the little studios the same way you would treat the big boys. This works both ways. During my time at E3 I had interviews with many 'smaller' studios such as Koei, Tecmo and Ignition and even had sessions with Bethesda, Eidos and Electronic Arts. I made sure to treat every meeting the same way. Just because a smaller studio doesn't make the marquee game does not mean they deserve less respect. More often than not, it's those smaller studios that will be willing to give you more details about their products because they are in the same boat as you (that is if you are covering the event for a smaller site like I was).
5. Cleanliness is Key. I had to admit it this, but the stereotype that most videogamers are unhygienic was extremely evident here. When I was at PAX last year I made this same comment and E3 continued to solidify that. With all the problems we have with Swine Flu and other airborne bacteria, make sure that you are proper when attending such an event. Wear clean clothing, wash your hands when you leave the washroom and just be sure to careful with what you touch. I will give props to Sony in their PSP office that their guys where constantly wiping down PSP and PSP Go units. It might have been more to clean the units clean, but every time they wiped a unit, unnecessary bacteria was taken away.
6. Just because you have covered E3 certainly does not make you a journalist. E3 might be the Mecca of videogames, just being there doesn't make you a journalist. It's what you do afterwards. If you were a member of the press but you didn't actually interview companies or attend any of the closed room sessions, then you are more an enthusiast than anything else. It's going to be the coverage you do in terms of previews, hands-ons and interviews that will set you apart.

There are certainly other things that I learned but I don't want to go on and on about it.

Since I managed to get hands on impressions on a bevy of upcoming games, I want to give my highlights on some of the games I actually got to play for a few minutes. Here now is my list of 'Favorite Games from E3 that I actually played'

Nintendo DS - Scribblenauts

I heard about this game last year on an IGN Podcast but thought nothing of it. Then when so many people on Twitter (specifically Area 5's Matt Chandronait) were mentioning it, I just had to find out where it was and go check it out. On Thursday, as soon as I got into the doors, I ran towards the Warner Brothers Interactive booth and began playing it. I was lucky enough to have the Lead Designer Matt Cox talk to me about the game for a few minutes before he was stolen away from me by the Joystiq guys but from the moment he started telling me what to do I was in love.

If you haven't heard about Scribblenauts, the objective of the game is to assist the lead character Maxwell collect 'Starites'. In order to do so, you need to specific objects to do so. In some cases you might need a ladder to climb a tree or in another you might want to have a snorkel to swim underneath. To obtain the items necessary, all you have to is write it and it appears. If you want that ladder, just type in 'ladder' on the keypad and one will appear. Feel like being creative and destroying the tree to get the 'starite', then right bomb or dynamite and place it by the tree and watch it explode. There are thousands of different ways each level can be completed and this creativity alone will make this game one to watch later this year.

(Honorable Mention: Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box)

Nintendo Wii - Sin and Punishment 2

One of my favourite games from the Xbox was Panzer Dragoon Orta and I really enjoy on rail shooters because of the frantic action that are associated with them. After playing through the one of the characters demo (the boy character Isa) I knew that this will be an incredible game.

I never played the original but after going through this, I seriously want to go pick up a Classic Controller for the Wii and download it from the Wii Store. S&P2 is filled with beautiful visuals, stunning sounds and a lot of variety. The game is extremely easy to pick up but offers plenty of challenges. I am a bit disappointed that this has been overshadowed by other marquee Nintendo titles, but I do feel that this will ultimately be one of those games that will appeal to the hardcore gamers that have complained they are not loved.

(Honorable Mention: Muramasa: The Demon Blade, New Super Mario Bros. Wii)

Xbox 360 - Just Cause 2

The first game I got to see behind closed doors was Eidos upcoming Just Cause 2 and I have to say that what I at first thought would be a gimmick could turn into a feature that will be copied by many others in the future.

The key aspect of Just Cause 2 is the use of your parachute and grappling hook to play the game. Both items are available to use at just about anytime and both are important in completing the game's 60 missions. Let's say you're battling it on the roof of a building, you can quickly jump off and paraglide yourself to another spot on the map. Another use could be when you're on top of a speeding car; you can hop off of it and use the parachute to avoid an explosion.

The grapple works on so many levels as well. On top of the being able to use it in conjunction with the Parachute, you can use to grab enemies or weapons or combining two enemies together. Again, the use of both can do so many different things.

As long as the game doesn't make the use of both too much of a necessity, I can see this being yet another satisifying title for Action-Adventure fans.

(Honorable Mention: Samurai Showdown: Edge of Destiny, Need for Speed Shift, Mass Effect 2)

PlayStation Portable - Motorstorm: Arctic Edge

Fans of the PS3 Motorstorm series will feel right at home when they pick up Arctic Edge. The game feels and plays nearly identical to what we've become accustomed to on with the PS3 controller. The game moves fast and sound really good. I did notice some graphical issues in a few minor spots, but other than some clipping issues and collision detection problems, this looks like it's heading in the right direction. It certainly won't be able to replicate the PS3 version tit-for-tat, but it will be pretty damn close. Racing fans will be really happy on the PSP later this year.

(Honorable Mention: Gran Turismo PSP, Dissidia: Final Fantasy)

PlayStation 3 - Uncharted 2: Among Thieves

I will not deny it, I am a massive Uncharted Fan and ever since the first announcement I have been waiting patiently to play and thankfully I got my opportunity to see it, touch it and love it. On the show floor we got the opportunity to play both the Multiplayer and Co-op modes and both are extremely fun to play. Thankfully, if you own inFamous, you already have the same opportunity to experience the Multiplayer Beta so there is no need to explain myself here. This will not only be one of the best titles for the PS3, it quite possibility could be the best game of 2009.

(Honorable Mention: Batman: Arkham Asylum, Ninja Gaiden Sigma 2)

Things I am glad to have seen:

1. Being able to attend the Shigeru Miyamoto Panel
2. Sitting in the second row during the Sony Press Conference
3. Crossing paths with Hideo Kojima
4. See a few games well before the rest of the public will
5. Trying out the PSP Go and not enjoying it

Things I wish I got to do:

1. Attending Private sessions with Sony, Nintendo or Microsoft (If I was a Senior Editor then I would have)
2. Taking more pictures with Booth Babes (I had work to do)
3. Playing God of War III and Splinter Cell Conviction
4. Either showing up a day earlier or staying at least a day longer. I would have either liked to have spent more time on Monday or being in LA on Friday once everything was done. The more time in LA would have allowed me to see a bit more.

Overall, I am glad for my experience at E3. I would love to write a more detailed chronicle of my 3 nights in LA but that will have to wait. I still have a ton of previews I still need to write up but once I've completed those, I will try my best to do something to show off exactly how much went on for me from June 1st until June the 4th.

Dating in the Workplace...Good or Bad?

I have never actually dated a girl that I have worked with. In my job history, there were girls that I worked with that I was interested in but I never bothered to approach them about going out on a date.

There were a few issues. The first was that I was pretty fat growing up and my lack of confidence made it difficult to approach a girl. Now, in my 20s, I am in pretty good shape and I would consider myself fairly good looking, so confidence is a bit better. The other issue was the fact that I always thought that if something ever went wrong when you dated a person from work, your personal life and work life could mix and cause some really bad results.

I have worked at the same place for over two years and in that time, I have had both an attraction towards a few female employees and had a few of them show interest in me. In the situation where I was attracted to the girls in question, I did not approach them because of my fear. While in one case of an fellow co-worker interested in me, it did result in one of those nights.

The girl that was interested in me, and I believe still is, is a cute girl but I just never felt the same way about her. While her flirting with me, I would constantly tell her that I thought work-place relationships are a bad idea and that we shouldn't go any further with our flirting. She seemed to accept that and I thought we were slowly become platonic friends until something occurred.

Recently, I started noticing another employee, one that actually sits across from me. She's a cute girl, not necessarily a knock-out but she has the features I really find attractive in a girl. I honestly find it difficult to work and have become even more subconscious about how I act at work so that I don't look like a fool. But because of my attraction and the fact that the other girl knows this, I am put into quite a situation.

If I try to approach the girl I am interested in, I fear that the other girl will get really jealous or angry and might cause problems. The other fear I have is that I enjoy the friendship I have with the other girl, considering I have only a small group of female friends, and I would hate to lose that.

I wonder what do most people feel about dating in the workplace. Have you done it? Has it worked out? What are some things I should try to do or not to to ensure things work out?

Maybe I am acting too quick. I have yet to approach the girl that I fancy about my interest in her. I have 'joked' on occasion about being smitten by her, but I do not believe she believes me, believing it to be an actual joke. I think I stand a good chance, but again, the fears of dating in the workplace put in a tough situation.

The Joys of Love!

PSP Games should not cost that much!

During my lunch-break today, as with most days, I stopped off at my nearby Best Buy to see what was out. As I was browsing through the Videogame section I tried out the MLB 09: The Show for the PSP (btw, fun but what the heck is up with the 2 minute loading time). When I walked back to see how much the game cost, I was shocked to discover that Best Buy was selling the game for 49.99.

I understand that the Canadian dollar isn't as close as it was before but there is absolutely no excuse for a game on the PSP to cost more than 39.99 and even that price is steep. PlayStation 2 games retail for less than the PSP and we know how sucessful that system is and how well it currently sells.
It was not the only game that had a high price point; Resistance: Retribution was 44.99, the DragonBall Movie-Tin was also priced at 49.99. One surprise though was that LocoRoco 2, was only 19.99, compared to the 24.99 it was since its original release.

With the PSP apparently going UMD less with the rumored announcement of the PSP GO! the price of PSP games need to be dropped right now to help boost sales of the current 3000 models on store shelves. Using Best Buy as an Example, they are now storing the units in the open, no longer keeping them behind locked glass, so it looks like they could care less about the unit.

That brings me to another point, specifically the release of Patapon 2. With Patapon 2 being a Download only title, I have some worries about the actual size of the game. From what I've ready from those who have downloaded the review copy that the size is 380 megs (or there abouts). If you are like me and your Memory stick is a 1gig one, you'll have to upgrade. Memory Sticks for Sony Units are not cheap. While an SD card 2 gig is 15.99, a 2 Gig Memory Stick Pro Duo is 24.99. If more games are going to be UMDless, this price needs to drop since we will need to buy larger memory sticks to hold the games. Yes this is a trial run, but I feel it will be a success and I don't want to have to buy an expensive memory unit in order to enjoy my games.

Why I like the PS2 Price Drop.

With Sony's announcement of a price drop for the PS2 from 129.99 to 99.99 (or 109.99 here in Canada), it shows that Sony actually has the right thought process.

Every time Sony sells a PS2, they will be earning a profit. Considering the system nearly a decade old, they probably have an abundance of units still available and would love nothing more than to get more units available. The PS2 already has a slew of quality titles available and each one is extremely affordable. Stores have been for the past 3 months been offering incredible discounts on such titles. Here in Canada, Best Buy was offering a Buy 2 Get 1 Free PS2 offer. If you consider that most titles have an MSRP of 19.99 to 29.99, so for the same price of one 360/PS3 game you are getting two quality games.

Now the reason behind this is strictly to cut into the sales of the Nintendo Wii which retails for about 279.99 depending on where you are. The Wii and the PS2 have a lot of the same features and benefits for users. The Wii offers you Motion control while the PS2 is a DVD player. Yes, the DVD feature is now mute considering you can buy DVD players for 40 dollars, it is still a bonus feature and essentially puts the cost of the gaming portion of the unit at 60 dollars (I will be using the US pricing point for this article).

Both systems have very similar titles. Those of us who play games and follow the industry know that Wii and PS2 games are nearly identical in look and play. In fact, it's often the case with some titles that the PS2 version of a game is ported to the Wii.

The casual aspect of the PS2 is there but will require Sony to push it. Game Series like Buzz, SingStar and EyeToy will need to be marketed strongly to capitalize on this. Sony has already in the past done this but will need to redo this push to let those casual players know that the fun they have with the Wii can also be done with the PS2 sans the motion controlling. Sony can focus on the fact that they have cool spericals such as a Camera, Microphone and other features that can only be found on the PS2 (excluding of course the 360 and PS3).

We Hardcore gamers might not care too much about this because we've already experienced and enjoyed what the PS2 had to offer and have evolved with the growing technology. Again, they have our money so they don't really care about us. They don't have the money of the parent with kids in elementary school who has a kid who loves Hannah Montana will lean towards the PS2 because of the games and the fact that they can watch Hannah Montana on the unit.

Don't forget that Sony has been planning a casual push for a while now. Last month, they announced the Hannah Montana PSP pack and I could see them doing something extremely similar with the PS2. Bundle the unit with the Hannah Montana singing game along with a DVD and a remote and you'll get those kids.

In my life-time, I have purchased 3 PS2 units, two fats and one slim. I no longer have a PS2 and luckily have a PS3 with backwards compatibilty but I could still see myself purchasing another PS2 to have with my other television in my apartment. I could watch DVDs from the comfort of my Bed and even play my older titles. There are still a slew of great titles still available for the PS2 which I missed or own and haven't gotten around to completing such as Resident Evil 4, God of War II, Persona 3 and 4 and Final Fantasy XII.

I love what Sony did with this, but there is one mistake that will hurt Sony monetarily. They did this at least a year too late. This should have been done this time last year when the PS3 was struggling and were forced to drop the price. Yes, this might have hurt sales of the HD system, but it would have been great when the economy was at such a high and people were spending. This would have really put more pressure on Nintendo and the industry as a whole would have benefited. Now a year later, it will take a bit longer before we actually see this force the other companies to play their hands.

It will be interesting to see what both Nintendo and Microsoft do to counter this. Will Nintendo finally drop the price of the Wii to entice gamers? Will they start announcing more flagship titles to keep gamers coming? Will Microsoft try to bring attention to the 360 Arcade and its benefits? This is actually a great thing and I am anxious to see what the companies all do in the lead-up to E3 over these next 60 days.

2nd Leg 2nd Day Preview

Here are my predictions for the 2nd series of matches in the Round of 16.

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FC Porto v Atletico Madrid (First Leg 2:2)

I did not expect the first leg to end the way that it did. I honestly thought Atletico were the better side on paper and should have done well at home. With the edge in Porto's favor, you would assume they will play defensive and absorb pressure, so I do see this having a least a goal, if not more. I think this will end in a draw, but not enough to force extra time.

Prediction: FC Porto 1 Atletico Madrid 1

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FC Barcelona v Lyon (First Leg 1:1)

Lyon lost over the weekend while Barcelona got back into form and helped to keep their lead in Spain. I think had Lyon not given up a late away goal in the first leg, you could give them more of a chance, but that is not the case here. Barcelona are the stronger side and that will show tonight. Expect goals and expect Lyon to put up a fight, but it won't be enough.

Prediction: FC Barcelona 2 Lyon 0

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AS Roma v Arsenal (First Leg 0:1)

The english sides were supposed to have a hard time in this round, but yesterday saw two english sides advance. This will be a tough contest for Arsenal who are a decent side, but playing against another decent side in Roma. Roma will attack, even with their injuries they have the talent to score goals, but the question is, can they stop Arsenal from scoring. I am predicting at least one goal, but for both sides. Roma will win this match, but not advance.

Prediction: AS Roma 2 v Arsenal 1

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Manchester United v Inter Milan (First Leg 0:0)

This is supposed to be the match of the day, which more than likely means it won't be. United are in front of the home crowd and will use that advantage to help them (even though English fans are not as vocal as the rest of Europe). I think that this match will be determined in the first half. If United score early, this could turn into a blow-out, but if they fail to score before the half or give up a goal, it will be interesting to see how Sir Alex Ferguson deals with that pressure. I would love to see an upset here, but I doubt it will happen.

Prediction: Manchester United 1 v Inter Milan 0

The matches are only hours away from kick-off, hopefully we'll have some really entertaining matches and maybe a surprise or two in the mix.

Champions League Preview (2nd Legs)

So it's coming down to crunch time as 16 teams will turn into 8 who will hope for a trip to Roma (unless your AS Roma and you're hoping to play at home at the end of may). So with 7 of the 8 ties still up for grabs, let's see what I think about each of the matches.

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Liverpool v Real Madrid CF (First leg 1:0)

So Liverpool 'stole' victory from Real Madrid two weeks ago in what I thought was one of the bigger surprise results. I honestly thought Madrid, with the home side would be the stronger of the two clubs, but it was Liverpool with all the strength now. Real Madrid need to win this game for so many reasons, but unfortunately, they do not have the coach (Juande Ramos) to take them into the next round. Benitez has his side exactly were they need to be and I expect them to play quite defensive and utilize the counter-attack to their advantage. Real have to play with 3 attacking players (at least) if they want any chance and MUST score in the first half. If they fail to score or give up a goal early on, this match is over. I don't see this being a big score but I do see Liverpool going through

Prediction: Liverpool 0 Real Madrid 0

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FC Bayern Munchen v Sporting Lisbon (First Leg 5:0)

Bayern will advance, will they win will result in how they field their squad. If it's mostly bench players on the field, expect a 0:0 scoreline. If they field regular players (which they won't), expect a 1:0 win for the German side.

Prediction: It doesn't really matter but FC Bayern Munchen 1 v Sporting Lisbon 0

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Panathinaikos v Villareal (First Leg 1:1)

I really like Panathinaikos in this because of the home support they'll have but it doesn't mean I think they'll win. This is a tough one since they went 1-1-1 at home during the group stage. The fan support will mean everything early on. These fans and players know that they just need to disrupt the psyche of the Villareal squad and they will win. Villareal know that one goal, and an early one at that, will kill the crowd. I again expect Villareal to play the offensive with the Greek side absorbing the pressue. Only problem is that Panathinaikos is not Liverpool and they're playing against a decent Spanish squad. While I like Panathinaikos, I don't know if they have the skill to handle the onsault. I want to predict a draw here, but I am leaning towards a 1:1 draw, meaning extra time. If that is the case, Villareal will advance during a penalty shootout

Prediction: Panathinaikos 1 Villareal 1 (Villareal advance in Penalties)

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Juventus v Chelsea FC (First leg 0:1)

Juventus coach Claudio Ranieri has been talking about how he wants the Juventus fans to distrupt Chelsea and act as the 12th man. One problem, Juventus supports are never there when you need them; they have amongst the worst attendences in the Champions League of a major club. Chelsea control the game and with considering how Guus Hiddink plays with Anelka and Drogba upfront, they will try to score. There is no pressure on Chelsea since they know even if they conceed a goal, they're far from out. Juventus would love to take out this London side, but the skills outside of Keeper lean towards Chelsea and in the end, it's the greater sum that always stays alive.

Prediction: Juventus 1 v Chelsea 1

I'll talk about Wednesday matches prior to gameday, in the meantime, enjoy the games on Tuesday.

Champions League Round of 16 Preview Part 2

Yesterday I was really bad at my predictions getting all four matches wrong. I hope that my predictions for today's matches are significantly better.

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Chelsea versus Juventus

This is do or die for Chelsea, anything less than a win will spell doom for the West London side. I expect Juventus to play tight defensively and absorb Chelsea's pressure. I am hoping for goals and I do expect Chelsea to take control of the match. If Juventus can hold off Chelsea from the score-sheet, then you have to give them full control heading back to Turin, but again, I see Chelsea breaking a goal. The one interesting fact will be if Juventus can steal a goal.

Prediction: Chelsea 1 Juventus 0

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Villareal v Panathinaikos

This match-up is very similar to yesterday's Atletico v Porto, two sides people don't follow too extensively but should be an interesting match. Considering how yesterday those two sides drew, you would expect similar results here, but in my eyes I see it differently. Villareal are a better side playing a better league and I think that will equal domination. The only problems is that Panathinaikos knows this as well and will play ultra defensive and hope to leave with a draw. If the Greek side takes chances, then I see this being a high scoring affair, if they don't then expect a single goal.

Prediction: Villareal 1 Panathinaikos 0

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Sporting Lisbon versus Bayern Munchen

Bayern are struggling; since the new year they have not done well domestically so will that result in poor form in Europe. I doubt that will be the case, and Bayern on paper are the better team no questions asked. Sporting know that if they can score and not give up a goal will mean a lot heading to Munich. Realistically though, Bayern know that a single away goal tonight wins them the series. I do not expect Bayern to sit back and relax and they will attack with a lot of power.

Prediction: Sporting Lisbon 1 Bayern Munchen 2

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Real Madrid v Liverpool

This series means a lot to Real Madrid. They have not gotten past this round in a very long time and this match-up is not going to be easy even with questions surrounding Liverpool. I do really like Real Madrid in this match up but I fear another draw between two evenly matched sides. The home field advantage will help Real Madrid in this leg, but they will need to win by two goals to head to Anfield with comfort. Real Madrid can score two goals easily, but can they prevent Liverpool from scoring? The interesting aspect here is how will Liverpool line-up. If they go with a 4-5-1 or a 5-4-1 styled formation, then take a draw, but if they they play 4-4-2, expect a goal fest for both sides.

Prediction: Real Madrid 2 Liverpool 1

Hopefully today i will be a bit better, but thanks to the joys of the sport, I will not be surprised if I go again 0-4.

Champions League Round of 16 Preview

Here is my Part 1 preview and predictions for the first Knockout Round of the Champions League

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Inter Milan versus Manchester United

This is going to be a great match between two of the best sides in Europe including two of the greatest coaches ever with The Special One and Sir Alex. Considering this leg is in Milan, you have to lean more towards Inter not only for that but for the fact that Man United's Nemanja Vidic will be out of this game. Rio Ferdinand is a good player, but he will not be able to plug the middle of the pitch on his own. Thankfully for Edwin Van der Saar whose shutout streak is over, there won't be any pressure on him, but I do expect Zlatan to pester him with shots. This game will have goals and goals will be scored by both sides. The question is will Inter travel to Manchester with a one or two goal lead. They will need a two goal lead to feel comfortable.

My Prediction: Inter Milan 2 Manchester United 1

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Arsenal versus AS Roma

I really like this match-up not only because both are well respected but both sides have a lot to prove here. Arsenal will be lucky to finish in the top 3 in England and even fourth place is currently out of reach. If they want to finally achieve something in terms of quality hardware, this is their best shot outside of the FA Cup. At the same time, AS Roma is in the same situation and would love nothing more than to reach the final in May at home. For this first leg, I expect a hard and gritty contest which will probably end in a goal-less draw. If Arsenal can manage a 2 goal lead, then expect them to advance, but if they give up a goal, then I feel them being a write off in the return leg.

My Prediction: Arsenal 0 AS Roma 0

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Olympique Lyonnais v FC Barcelona

I wonder how the Lyon side felt over the weekend when they saw La Liga leaders lose to the 20th placed team in Spain? I wonder if that sudden confident booster will result in anything. Both sides are attacking squads and Lyon need to score at home and confortably to have any chance of upsetting the Catalan giants. In my opinion even with the minor set-back for Barca, they are the better squad top-to-bottom. This will be another game with goals, but unfortunately for Lyon, those goals will against them.

My Prediction: Lyon 1 FC Barcelona 3

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Atletico Madrid v FC Porto

Both sides must be really glad to have drawn each other since both would be heavy underdogs in any other match-up. Both sides have a lot to prove and considering how even these sides are this is a pick'em game. In this leg I would have to lean towards Atletico for the home support but that doesn't mean that they will run away with this match. Expect yet another tight affair and do not be surprised if at the final whistle nothing has been accomplished. In my eyes though, I do expect at least one goal in the end.

My Prediction: Atletico Madrid 1 FC Porto 0

Part 2 with the rest of the match-ups will be posted tomorrow.

Reviews and Reviewers

I am still new in the Professional reviews scene. I have only been writing reviews for the Canadian Gaming Site Game Focus since last September; during my time there I have written plenty of reviews for numerous games. As a free-lance reviewer, the games I get are usually not exactly Triple A titles. If you head over to my Reviews Blog (Tasty Games), you will see on top of my personal reviews, a list of games I have reviewed for the web-site.

The list is quite extensive, with a bit of everything. For the most part, I most of my reviews for the site have been for Sports games. From what I gathered, outside of the Main Editor of the site, I am the only one with a huge love of sports games, so I was asked to write them. Of all my reviews, the only one I specifically asked to review was Chrono Trigger DS and only because I had never played and completed the two previous editions and wanted the opportunity to do so. I was fair on the review, giving it my highest score at the site, but be sure, I was not giving it props because of nostalgic, in fact, I had to buy the game myself and was not compensated for the review...no money hat here. Other than my Chrono Trigger DS review, the only other game that was posted on the site that would be considered 'Triple A' or 'important' was my review for Guitar Hero World Tour. In both cases, I was not supplied by the publishers a copy of the game so everything came out of my pocket.

Outside of Chrono Trigger, every other review was either specifically asked by the Site's Editor to review or was part of a list of games that were offered and I selected; sometimes I would get the review I wanted, but in other cases I would review a game that I probably would not have paid for. Most of the time, I knew absolutely nothing about the game going into the review, especially recent reviews I did for Cuboid and Soldner-X.

WIn my opinion, when a reviewer is reviewing a game, they should be going into the game with the process of writing the review with little to no knowledge of the game.

I am not saying the Review should know nothing about the subject matter, that would be unfair, but the reviewer's opinion of said game should not be influenced prior to playing the game. With every game I reviewed, I did go online to get some details about the game if I didn't know much about it. For some cases, getting information is easy, other times it is difficult. I would try my hardest to avoid reading other reviews sticking to only searching for plot summaries in order to understand the type of game I am about to play. If a reviewer knows a lot (or a significant amount) about a game, I feel it too strongly influences his score both positively and negatively.

If a reviewer already has an impression on the game, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to give a fair assessment of the game because in both situations they already have an idea what to give the game. For example, if a reviewer already has questions regarding a certain game mechanic and feels it won't work, unless they put the effort into giving it a chance, they will automatically claim that it is something that does not fit the game. The reverse is true, if the reviewer has strong positive feelings towards a game or series, they may also be willing to ignore any faults the game has because they want to give the game a score they personally feel is worthy for it.

Do not get me wrong, this is not always the case, but it definitely separates professional Critics to 'amateurs'. Professionals know how to separate each product and only compare them in the right light. Mostreviewers on majority of gaming sites know how to view a game on it's own. Yes, they will make references to similar games in the genre or if applicable, a previous game of a series. They will take the game at face value and score it accordingly. Amateurs, or 'fanboys' will not look at the grand scheme and only focus on their own love or hate and remark on it accordingly.

Professional reviewers also know when it is time to properly critique a game or product. When an 'amateur' plays a game, they will only play it for a certain amount of time before determining their love or hate of a game. An 'amateur' can essentially make their decision on a game within the first 5-10 minutes of a game when in most cases, these games can last anywhere from 10-100 hours (give or take). In today's society, where value is key, Developers know that in order to appeal to the masses they must do two things: 1) get your attention the moment you start playing and 2) keep that focus for the entire length of the game.

If there is a reviewer who only plays a fraction of a game, then they are not playing the game correctly. If they determine a game is good or bad in that first hour, chances are they haven't even bothered to play the game or they might not even be playing it correctly. In cases like this, their Senior Editor may question if the reviewer has even bothered to play the game and those who read the review might feel the same way. You can always tell the difference between a quick-write up and a detailed review by the omission of details and key facts. We've all seen those types of reviews and gamers are not afraid to post on forums about this.

Because I am labeled as a Freelance Reviewer, chances are, unless the paid staff at the site are too swamped with reviews, I will not be reviewing a triple 'A' title. Yes, it is a bit disappointing to always be stuck with the 'lesser' games, but it's not always the case that those will be bad games. It's quite often that the games people don't know too much about actually end up being some of the more surprisingly good games. Of the reviews I did for Game Focus so far, the game that surprised me the most was Time Hollow, a point and click adventure game. It was a game that was given to me by my Editor which I had no knowledge of. I did go online to get some information, but at the time, details were sparse outside of some tidbits from the Japanese release of the game. I knew nothing of the story, but the time I spent completing the game were quite good. I was fair to the game and gave it the score I felt it strongly deserved and would not be afraid to recommend it to DS owners.

If you are a person looking into getting into the Gaming Press, the first tip I need to give you is to open your gaming palette. Unless you are running your own site, anywhere you review is going to start you with reviewing lesser known games before you'll get the opportunity to review those big titles. Also, do not be afraid to review any game that is offered to you. You need your practice and playing all sorts of games will give you a deeper appreciation of gaming as a whole. If you reject offers, not only will you limit your ability to grow as a writer, but the posibility of your Editor giving you a game you really want will be less likely.

Lastly, if you're under the impression that becoming a reviewer is your key to getting free games, you're in it for the wrong reason. As I stated above, I wrote two reviews for the site on games I paid for out of my pocket and in order to save time, if it was possible, I actually went out and rented the game ahead of time in order to get the review on the site (timing is something I hope to write about on a future blog).

Is there an answer for Print Magazines?

(This Piece is still under construction and will be modified over time...if you have an input into this topic, I strongly suggest you please leave a comment below)

After last week's closure of Electronic Gaming Monthly (EGM) and the eBay offer for HardCore Gamer, talk has picked up that the print format is dead for magazines.

I do agree that Print Magazines of all forms have significantly suffered in recent years thanks in part to the explosion of web content available at the touch of your fingers, I do disagree that the format is dead. Console specific magazines are still successful thanks in part to their strong bond with the consoles they are about (not to mention that they usually offer bonus disc (eg. OXM) or online offers (OPM offering episodes of Qore)).

The problem is not that information is available online and for free. Take a look at North American magazines like Time, Newsweek, Entertainment Weekly, Macleans, Sports Illustrated and others that still exist and still have the numbers to keep them a float. Yes, all are established and long running magazines, but so was EGM's 20 years.

If they are able to still run a successful magazine, then what is wrong with Videogame magazines? The answer is simple, but it's probably something that most companies like Ziff Davis would never adopt.

What do the magazines I mentioned above have in common...and Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu?

They're all weekly magazines.

In order for a Magazine to succeed in today's market it MUST be a weekly based magazine that can still compete with the internet. While the news that is available in the magazine will be relatively late in comparison to when it arrives on the 'net, people read magazines for the features and extra content put into each article. Your internet news gives you the basics, but when you want to read more about a specific topic, a magazine almost always offers more detail.

Here is an example of what I mean. Taking EGM's issue 233 (October 2008) and comparing it to Famitsu No. 1044 (from December 19th), let's compare the two magazines.

• EGM has 106 pages
• Famitsu has 264 pages

• EGM had roughly 42 pages of adverts (noting that ads were also located on inside covers and back page)
• Famitsu had roughly 42 pages of adverts (again, noting that ads were located on the inside front and back covers)

• EGM costs you 5.99 US an issue (7.99 here in Canada)
• Famitsu costs roughly 370 Yen which is about 4 dollars US and 4.50 in Canada

• Both magazines offer the same type of content: previews, reviews, editorials, cheats and hints, essentially giving games plenty to work with.

I know comparing EGM to other North American magazines is a bit unfair. Time, Newsweek and Sports Illiustrated have more than 2 million readers each week, while Macleans (Canada's Neweek) and The New Yorker have between 500,000 and 1 million readers each week. EGM's numbers are still high enough that it could support an increase of issues.

EGM's problem in today's market was stated that even with 500,000 paid subscribers and 100,000 copies sent to stores, the ads were not there. But as shown above, in a 106 page magazine, nearly 40% of the magazine contains ads compared to Famitsu's 15%. So was the problem really about getting advertising dollars? Maybe, but I think it's not exactly the issue.

The problem lies in keeping gamers informed and the information fresh. With a monthly magazine, it becomes too difficult to please most gamers and give them something they don't already know.

Let's take reviews as the example here. If a monthly magazine offers reviews on games it has one of two options 1) review a game approximately 40 days before the game is released and hope that the publisher and/or developer do not delay the game. This problem has occurred a few times (eg. GMR Magazine releasing an early review of Ninja Gaiden only for the game to be delayed and GamePro reviewing Half Life for Dreamcast which was never publicly released). Because of this, most print magazines rely on 2) reviewing a game after it has already hit stores. This is a problem because the game has already been in stores and most consumers have already made their decision if they should buy the game. Since the review and the information given by the magazine doesn't help sales, why would a company offer exclusives or rely on a print magazine.

Now this would be completely different if Print Magazines were released weekly. Famitsu is often able to post their review a week prior or the week of a game's release and often this gives gamers the ability to determine if money should be spent on a game. The game and the content is fresh in the reader's mind and people are willing to spend the money. Also, because monthly magazines need their advertising dollars 1-2 months before the issue hits new-stands, often a game might change from the advertisement or reversely, a good enough ad for the magazine is not available.

I don't have any experience in print media so I am not too familiar with development process of a magazine, but you have to assume the following.

• Printing and publishing takes about 1-3 days
• Shipping to consumers and to stores takes 1-3 days
  
• Layout Setting takes about 1-2 days
• Submissions must be entered at least a week prior.
• The average article is written in a day
• It takes the average person approximately 0-3 days to develop enough of an opinion for a review
• It takes the average person approximately 1-5 days to gather and write up an Editorial or Preview of a game.

With this, it would seem that you could essentially create a magazine from cover to cover in about 2 weeks (so this week we'd be working on our Feb 1st issue).

But what about filling pages? Yes, it can be difficult to fill X amount of pages each month, so it must be just as difficult for a weekly magazine. Yes and no. if you don't have enough content, then of course, you're going to have a hard time filling in pages, but there is always something to write about. As shown above, Famitsu is a weekly magazine and has more than double the amount of pages as EGM and costs less.

EGM would still be around if it made some minor changes:

1) Become a weekly magazine
2) Kept or even reduced the number of pages BUT also reduced the cost.

Other weekly print magazines in North America contain fewer pages and are more affordable for that weekly purchase. Also, as stated before, developers and publishers would be more willing to pay for more ad space because they'd know that their product would be seen more often weekly rather than monthly. Since eyes would see their game four times as much as they already do, publishers can increase the cost for ad-space and in turn, recoup costs for staff, printing, etc...

The underlying issue in all this is 'are videogames viable' enough for a weekly magazine format? My answer is yes. There is more than enough information available each week that can be thrown into a weekly magazine. Take a look at the amount of posts on gaming news sites like Kotaku and Joystiq. Each day there are more than 20 decent articles published, so the news is there. If Famitsu can offer plenty of pages of reviews, previews, features, guides and even some extra stuff (pictorials of real people and comics) then EGM could have also accomplished the same thing.

Then what about costs and staff. Today's journalist is no longer a 'sit at a desk and work in an office' but rather a freelancer from around the world. Freelancers are cheap and there are a lot of people willing to work freelance if it could eventually lead to something bigger and better. Thanks to the ease of communication, a magazine can be based in a city like Chicago, Toronto, Berlin or even a small town like Kamloops (in British Columbia) and have people working around the world. The gaming market has only a small amount of cities where games are heavily produced: Tokyo, San Francisco, London, Vancouver and to a lesser extent New York and Montreal. Yes, games are made in other cities but travelling is easy (for example, if you have a writer based in Vancouver, he can drive the three hours south to Seattle to talk to people at Valve and/or Microsoft) or if you work in San Francisco, you can cover all the various companies in the area.

Plus, with Freelancers, reviewers can be located just about any where in the world. You ship the game to them and then have them submit to you electronically their review and you can have the review up in the next issue without any real problems.

We'll never know for sure if EGM had changed their format they would have succeed; there were too many outside issues involved with EGM and Ziff Davis that lead to its demise (we are all aware of the Bankruptcy from 2008). In my opinion, if there is a person or organization looking at creating a Gaming magazine in the same vein of EGM (writing quality), they should seriously consider having their format set-up as a weekly magazine.