The Recycle Bin

When gamers, bloggers, and developers need a life.

This one from PlayStation Life Style is a silly little head scratcher. A CNET poll to vote for Forza or GT went horrible wrong. Ballet box stuffing. For shame!

We live in a very competitive world, and this is apparent in the video game industry where publishers and developers are constantly trying to get a leg up on their competition, whether it’s through clever marketing or brilliant feats of engineering. But what is NOT acceptable is when a publisher or developer uses bribes to gain an advantage. Che Chou, the community manager at Turn 10, has done exactly this, and we feel compelled to inform our readers about the dishonest tactics that the Forza Motorsport developer has chosen to carry out.

This is just classic. The CNET poll is now closed thanks to all the shenanigans.

Editor’s note: After numerous complaints of cheating and in-game content being offered as payment for votes, I’ve decided to close the poll. Way to ruin the fun for the rest of us, guys.

Wow. The competition between these games is serious business, and folks are playing for keeps (or at least votes).

Out of the Park 10 is $10 off July 9-15.

I have not played the last couple of OOTP iterations, mainly because the online league I was in folded. There was a $10 off preorder special, but at the time I decided I would pass. Now this deal comes along, and I am going to strongly consider jumping back into OOTP.

All-Star Special: $10 off Out of the Park Baseball 10!

Get OOTP 10 Now And Safe [sic] $10!
If you’ve just heard of OOTP, or if you’ve been sitting on the fence, take advantage of our Out of the Park Baseball All-Star Special!

From July 9th through July 15th, OOTP 10 can be yours for just $29.99 (€29.99 for customers living inside the European Union), a discount of $10 off the normal price!

Out of the Park Baseball 10 is the 10th iteration of our award-winning baseball management simulation game. It will be the best OOTP ever released, adding more features to an already unparalleled feature set and improving already existing ones. We have done a lot of work on the under-the-hood functionality, greatly improving the artificial intelligence, which results in the most realistic baseball management experience ever. As a baseball fan, you owe it to yourself to play OOTP 10!

This is a pretty good deal. It is basically on sale for the price of a PSP game, or a heavily discounted (or Greatest Hits) PS3 game. Plus you get the added advantage that the game has already been patched, so it should be pretty clean.

PS3, Rumors, State of the Console Market, and more Eric Lepel

I love these quick sound bites. According to Reuters, Sony Corp Chief Executive Howard Stringer says no PS3 price cuts anytime soon.

Asked about the logic of not cutting prices, Stringer said, “I (would) lose money on every PlayStation I make — how’s that for logic.”

Does that really mean no price cuts for the current PS3 models? There is that Slim thing we keep hearing about. Then you also have the silly rumors about the PS4 arriving in 2011/2012, which falls right in line with Activision saying that they may no longer support the PS3 in 2011.

JC’s Quick Take on the Console Market
I agree with most of the pundits that a price cut is really needed if Sony wants to make any sort of push with the PS3. A $299 price point in the U.S. in time for Christmas would make for a serious spike in sells, but these days I am not sure if Sony really knows their head from their ass. It is almost like there is no real focus or direction, and most of the time the Sony brass are in reactionary mode.

The good news is that I think the videogame market is fairly healthy. Consumers have their choice of the 360, Wii, and PS3. Competition is a good thing; I would hate to see one of the Nintendo, Microsoft, or Sony drop out of the hardware arena (i.e. Sega). Just think, a few years ago we lost Sega, and many experts thought Nintendo was next. Sony was dominating the market, and everyone was speculating if Microsoft has the wherewithal to make another run at Sony with a second console. Time marches on.

Eric Lepel … again
Sony’s Eric Lepel is making the interview rounds; this time with PCWorld.

You’ll definitely see another firmware update this year, but it won’t be like what the rumors say. We’re working on some consumer features that consumers will definitely like, but it’s nothing like what you’re reading about, and at this time I don’t want to confirm any of those features because they’re not completely locked down yet. We’re looking pretty good, and timing is a little rough, but just in terms of that rumor, it’s not the case.

At least now the rumor writers have more room for rumor speculation and blogging. After all, just what is Sony hiding with the next major firmware revision? Whatever it takes to keep the bloggers blogging.

IndustryGamers interviews PSN’s Eric Lepel

IndustryGamers posted a very interesting interview with Sony’s Eric Lempel (Director, PlayStation Network). Most sites that are linking to this are focusing on Mr. Lempel’s comments comparing PSN to XBL – “I don’t think there’s a lot of “catch up” [with XBL] anymore.” but I thought the article (found via N4G) contained more interesting nuggets of information.

IG: I know Sony has said the PSP Go is not intended to replace the traditional PSP model, but it does sort of seem that with this digital push that is going to eventually happen. Don’t you think this will phase out UMD permanently?

EL: I think it really depends on the consumer and what they want. As Kaz [Hirai] mentioned it was really about going out there, talking to people and seeing what they wanted.

Kind of like everyone really wanted a second analog stick?

IG: And the pricing on the digital games will be identical to the UMD counterparts?

EL: Well, we don’t actually control pricing, so we can sell to retail at a wholesale price and then they set the resale price. On the PlayStation Store we do set the pricing for first-party titles, but on third-party they give us a wholesale price. On games where we do control pricing, what we’ll steer towards is having it cost the same; it won’t cost more [at retail or digitally] for the launch of a new title.

What? That was like a punch in the guts. At a minimum I expected the digital content to be $5-10 less to make up for no UMD, no case, manual, shelf space, etc. If this is correct … or rather if I understand this statement correctly, it looks like PSP Go owners are about to get screwed.

IG: With PSP Go being all digital and the fact that you can access the store on the PSP itself, do you feel it’s one step closer to competing with the iPhone?

EL: What’s a little bit different with us is that PSP is a game-centric device; it was built for gaming. A lot of this other stuff you see on other devices – lots of smaller games, not that deep – might not provide the best experience. The PSP Go has a lot more horsepower and there’s a lot more you can get out of this. I think the Go will open [the door] for more unique stuff that you probably wouldn’t find on another platform because they can’t run it or they just don’t have the controls.

I just wrote about this fascination with comparing the PSP Go to the iPhone (or iPod Touch). I really do not understand why this continues to come up, but now the hot rumors are that a PSP Phone is forthcoming. Oh well, gives me some more fodder for the blog.

And last, but not least …

IG: Some people may be worried about filling up the internal memory of the PSP Go, so what would you say the average size of a game file is going to be? How many games could a user fit onto the device?

EL: If you’re strictly talking games, and not movies or other stuff, with the average game being perhaps 800 MB you could probably get about 20 games onto the PSP Go.

I cannot even imagine trying to lug around 20 UMDs. At this point I think I am quoted out. Check out the article; it is a solid read.

Second Time Around Gamers

No PS3 – Day 2 begins. Not that I would have time to play anything this morning before work, but I would have enjoyed some quality time with Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction last night. On the way to Laredo, TX, the PS3 was last seen in Montgomery, AL. Yes, it is a slow news day.

Gaming on the cheap
According to GamesIndustry (link via N4G) gamers are turning towards used games and rental services at an all time high rate. The article also cites that subscription services (I am sure they mean WoW) are also cutting into new game sales.

However, while claims of increased gaming is undeniably positive for the industry, there could be a flip side. That is, money-conscious gamers appear to be spending more of their disposable income on used games and rental services and less on new releases.

Indeed, the sales of used games are calculated to be at an all time high during 2009 when compared to historical data going back to 2006. Some groups showed increases in the average number of used games bought per month of 50 per cent. In May 2009, the average number of used games purchased in the last six months was 3.51, while the total games purchased was 9.75. That gives a used game ratio of 0.36.

More than ever I am inclined to wait on certain purchases like R&C Future: ToD, and it is why I am now considering LEGO Batman for $19.99. Quality gaming experiences for substantially less than the original $59.99 price points.

Random PSP News.

No PS3 – Day 1. Over the weekend there was a flurry of activity about the PSP Go having a significantly faster CPU than the current models. Not so fast (literally and figuratively) according to engadget.

Looks like all that excitement over PSPgo’s faster (but likely to be underused) 480MHz processor is all for naught. Our friends at Engadget Japan have gotten in contact with Sony Computer Entertainment and been informed that the Maximum clock frequency mentioned here is for the USB device, not the CPU.

Damn. I knew it was too good to be true. Like a lot of other sites (present company included), the user comments are also more entertaining than the actual article. Same for the comments from the same article at joystiq. The reactions crack me up. I talked myself out of and into a PSP Go several times reading the various user diatribes. Good stuff.

PSP destined to outsell the Game Boy
I found this one via N4G. Read it closely or you are liable to make an ass out of yourself very quickly.

The PSP managed to sell 50 million units with sporadic software support. However, Sony and other companies are beefing up support for the handheld system with several blockbuster titles from blockbuster franchises. It will be hard to ignore the PSP with games like Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Gran Turismo, LittleBigPlanet, Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker and Resident Evil.

I am surprised that Sony has managed to push 50 million PSP units. That is pretty damn impressive. I have to go out on a limb and guess that the adoption rate is fairly high among PS2 and PS3 owners. In other words, brand loyalty matters.

PSP should be been UMD free?
And how about this gem from gossipgamers – the PSP was always intended to be UMD free.

“We’d planned to release a PSP model without a UMD drive since the very beginning,” said Matsui. He continues to say that if they had done it from the get-go, “there wouldn’t have been much for everyone to enjoy. We needed to prepare the right environment for it first – things like the transferral of content with the PS3 and PSN, and PC software to manage content like music and movies such as Media Go.

Have to admit that this one is a head scratcher. Makes you wonder WTF is wrong with the Sony marketing and PR folks. They need some handlers or something.

And more of the same from something called electricpig:

The end result? Sony appear to have made three mistakes. They’ve saddled consumers with a device that crosses two formats (UMD and digital downloads), have waited too long, with the Apple iPhone the digital download device of choice among most consumers now, and have still priced the PSP Go “too much” for most commentators. Will the Sony PSP Go thrive despite its format issues, high price and iPhone rival, though?

I can see folks being upset with the price; $249 is not exactly what you would consider cheap and it is certainly not on par with the current PSP ($169). I still do not get all the PSP go vs. iPhone comparisons. They both have digital downloads, and they both play games. One system plays quick and dirty types, while the other is an actual portable gaming system.

PS3 goes in for repairs.

I decided to break down and use one of the two coffins I received last week. The coffins come courtesy of UPS 2nd Day shipping, although I think mine took three days), and the return label is for UPS 3 Day shipping. My better half is going to take mine to a local UPS store later today.

Before packing up the system I had to replace my 250 GB HDD upgrade with the original 60 GB HDD, not because an upgrade would violate my warranty, but because I may not get mine back if Sony sends me a replacement or refurbished system. I did the needful and deactivated this system and formatted the HDD.

I am very curious to see if I get my original system back with a new Blu-ray drive (or controller … or whatever is out of whack) or if I get a different serial number. I am not even sure what steps I will take if I do not get another 60 GB model (CECHA01) because this is the best PS3 system on the market.

So begins life without a PS3 system. I went so long without even bothering to power the damn thing up that it feels sort of strange knowing that I will miss the little bastard. We have more or less reconnected over the last month, so it will be an interesting rid going without the PS3. I see lots of PSP and Wii articles in my immediate future.

Lindy’s Southeastern 2009 Annual Comments.

Typical football annual containing what you would expect – a rundown of SEC teams, some predictions, recruiting updates, All-America Team selections, some cheerleader hotties, and a few random articles.

Besides focusing on the SEC, this annual also contains a rundown of Conference USA and the Sun Belt. Imagine my surprise when I noticed that North Texas did not get a preview. You ask why would I care? For a couple of reasons. As long time readers know, the Mean Green is sort of my adopted school. It’s my dad’s alma mater, and several years ago I picked it for my NCAA Football Chronicles series.

I thought that Louisiana Tech, a WAC school, was included by accident, but it is listed in the table of contents, it is the last team preview in the annual, and North Texas is MIA. Un-f’ing real. I guess La Tech is more Southeastern than North Texas, but seriously. Now I want to get a version of NCAA Football and repeatedly beat the shit out these Bulldogs.

The depth charts and rosters, at least for Georgia, are more or less current up to and including the Spring Games. Will Tavarres King start opposite of A.J. Green, or will it be Michael Moore or someone else? Of course more accurate and up to date info is available via the internet, but that takes away all the fun of reading the yearly publications.

I picked up this annual because (A) I usually pick up Lindy’s for SEC coverage, (B) Georgia’s A.J. Green was on the cover, and (C) I am ready for college football. For $6.99 this is more or less what I expect in an annual, but the omission of North Texas is inexcusable. You either cover the Sun Belt or you do not, so I really do not get this gaffe.

Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction

Earlier this week I picked up Ratchet & Clank Future: Tools of Destruction for $29.99 from the local Best Buy. I had been waiting for this one to hit Greatest Hits status for a long time, and it is finally here. I actually scored the only copy in the store, sans the Greatest Hits label. Over the weekend I noticed that the local big box had several copies, also without the Greatest Hits label, but Toys R Us did not have any copies on the shelf. I guess that the Greatest Hits shipments have not started flowing in the Columbus market yet.

I had a blast with the R&C ToD demo; played it many times, but there is only so much you can do with a demo. I always knew that I would enjoy the game, but the discriminating gamer in me has turned into more or less a tight ass in my elder gaming years. These days I rarely throw down $60 on the table for a brand spanking new game. In the case of R&C ToD, I figured I could wait.

I looked at several stores for a discounted version of FIFA 2009 for the PS3, or maybe even the PSP, but the best I could find was $49.99 (PS3) and $29.99 (PSP). I want a soccer game, but unless I can find one discounted (maybe on eBay) I am just going to hold out for the October release of FIFA 10. I can see myself ending up with the PS3 version and maybe the digital version for the PSP Go (assuming I have a Go), but that brings me back to the “digital downloads will not allow me to sell on eBay” issue, so I need to consider this a littler further.

I found a surprise deal at Toys R Us – LEGO Batman (PS3) for $19.99, but I showed some restraint and did not pull the trigger on a purchase because I just picked up R&C ToD. Of course I keep thinking that I should get it for that price, and my wife agrees (have to love that lady!). I am going to spend some time checking out the reviews and then decide if I need to make a Sunday afternoon trip back to Toys R Us. The metacritic scores average 75%, which puts it squarely in that realm of “it is probably just Ok” so not really worth $20 unless I have nothing else to play, although it support PSP Remote Play, which may put it over the top. Toys R Us also had the PSP version for $19.99, but I will pass on that one for now.

Looking towards Madden 10.

I recently sold my Madden 2009 Collector’s Edition in preparation of the next yearly Madden installment. What is going to make this year different than any other? After all, with each Madden release I relive the “been there, done that” experience. Last year I completely wasted $90; never got into Head Coach 2009 and while Madden 2009 was a decent PS3 effort it was just not enough to capture me by the shorthairs and really get my attention.

Truth be told, this seems to be the story of the various Madden releases over the last few years. I get them on Day 1, play them for a few weeks, then real football starts and Madden gets put aside for NCAA Football or other activities.

GameShark has an excellent, in-depth interview with this year’s Madden team, and it gives me great hope that Madden 10 will be different. In a good way.

The experience out of the box (Pro mode) is tuned towards a more offensive style of play – longer time in the pocket, receivers get open more easily, more tackles are broken, etc., to make sure that everyone can have a really good time from the first time they boot up. Once you make the switch to All-Pro though, we really wanted to juice up the realism – accurate 40 times, accurate time in the pocket (3-5 seconds), etc. We want our All-Pro experience to really invoke another layer of strategy and planning – it shouldn’t only be about who has the best twitch skills. Football is much more of a chess match than any other sport…we can’t ignore that part of the game if we want to be the ultimate NFL simulation. I personally want Joe Cowboys Fan to be able to play Madden (and win) thanks to his knowledge of the game and strategy, and not be hampered if his “gaming skill” isn’t up to par.

These days my “gaming skill” sucks. If Madden 10 can pull off a decent simulation that makes football fans and joystick jockeys (does this term still apply) happy, then we could have a very interesting Madden on the way.

The comments about using the Dolphins Chad Pennington vs. Pat White to see the differences between QB ratings for arm strength and accuracy (short vs. mid vs. long distances) is extremely encouraging. In fact, the whole article in encouraging. Fans wanting some dose of reality with player attributes, something that separates one player from the next are going to be happy that the number of 90+ overall rating players has been dramatically reduced.

Take CB speed for example. I did a rating analysis on this to start out the Madden NFL 10 pre-production cycle and discovered that every CB in the game had between 87-99 SPD in Madden NFL 09. I looked further, nearly 80% of ALL CB’s fell between 4 ratings points (88-92)! It’s pretty obvious that you aren’t going to see or feel any major differences out there in gameplay with them being so similar. The range now starts at 75-99, with a far greater number of CBs now in the low to mid 80’s.

The Online Franchise mode is the “big” addition for this year. I am not sure if I will get into this or not, but there is promise of lots of different ways to play. The fact that I can actually do a single player online franchise is interesting because that will be so much easier than the old fashion Chronicles way from back in the day.

The only downside to franchise mode seems to be that it is limited to 10 seasons. I could not tell from the interview if this is specific to online franchises or offline as well; it was mentioned in the context of online franchises, but I bet it is a limitation for on or offline modes. Except for simulating a long run of seasons, these days I do not have time to actually play through multiple seasons so this is probably a non issue for me as well as most gamers.

Looks like in-game saves did not make the cut. I can only hope for a nice handy accelerated clock feature to speed the game along.

If you have not already seen the interview, take a few minutes to check it out. Plenty of info there to wet your appetite for Madden 10. I hope that we are not in for a serious letdown.

Heading to Amazon to preorder.

PSP Go Decision Time.

The other night my wife asked me what was that $249 dollar thing in my Amazon shopping cart? I told her I was considering a PSP Go and she asked me “What is wrong with the one you are playing now? I thought it was some sort of programming thing. Like that PlayStation one you had for making games.”

I responded that my PSP was 4 years old, and this one was new and improved, will have longer battery life, and I do not have to drag around UMDs. She said “Oh, Ok, that makes sense. You should get one if you want one.” My wife is a saint!

I started thinking about just what was new and improved. I have a handful of games, but if I cannot play them on my PSP Go, what is the point? Will Sony offer some sort of trade in deal to convert UMDs to digital downloads? Highly doubtful, but that would be nice. What about battery life? Lately I have noticed that my two batteries get around 3-5 hours of life playing Pangya, watching videos downloaded from PSN, and surfing the web.

This article from shacknews confirms that battery life is not really improved, but there some sort of goodwill UMD trade in program may be in the works.

“The battery life is equivalent with the current models meaning approximately 3 to 6 hours for gameplays and approximately 3 to 5 hours for playing back videos.”

Grant also reaffirmed that Sony is indeed planning a goodwill program for those that own physical UMD-based games, which aren’t compatible with the PSP Go

The battery life is horrible, and if the battery is embedded, then long transcontinental trips are out. At least I have two batteries with my current PSP, so I can usually make it through one of those long plane trips. I was really holding out hope that the PSP Go would average 10 hours on one charge. I always assumed that the UMD was what drained my PSP.

I recently picked up a 4GB Memory Stick Duo (love how Sony makes proprietary crap like this), which I thought I could also use with my PSP Go. Not so much. According to the article quoted in the above article …

PSPgo uses M2 memory sticks which are smaller and take up less room on the device. This meant that we saved space and could make the PSPgo pocket-sized. However, you will be able to transfer the data from your Memory Stick Duo to your PC via Media Go and then transfer it to the PSPgo or M2.

At least these Memory Stick Micro (M2) cards are cheaper then Memory Sticks Duos, but life would be simpler if Sony opted to use a standard digital camera digital card. Of course that would be too much to ask.

Will PSP Go offer better gameplay? My first thought would be no, after all this is a PSP, but then I came across this SonyInsider article.

According to recently filed FCC documents, the PSP Go (PSP-N1001) might be faster than we originally expected. While the official specs stated the clock frequency of the processor at 333MHz, FCC documents have pegged this tiny UMD-less, flash based dynamo to actually max out at 480MHz. While the PSP Go will most likely be locked in at 333Mhz, it is possible that the software within will allow scaling for intensive applications or the full speed will be enabled in a future firmware update. Many of you may remember that the original PSP was always locked to 222MHz, but since firmware 3.50, developers had access to the full 333MHz. The difference in increased processor speed was night and day for many gamers, who noticed better lighting, more particles, and a few minor differences.

I am still sitting on the fence about a PSP Go, but there is one in my shopping cart, and my wife has given a green light to the purchase. Decision time.

Independence Day Nuggets of Gaming Deliciousness.

Happy Independence Day! A few nuggets for your July 4th reading pleasure.

Pangya Update
I have been enjoying Pangya: Fantasy Golf. Right now I am working my way through the story mode. It is really good clean fun, and is the perfect game for the PSP. The metacritic scores are better than average, and the user scores show that the game is going to quickly become a fan favorite.

In my book, this one is certainly worth a purchase.

PS3 vs. Xbox 360 price comparison
I found this one via N4G and thought it was interesting to see someone lay out the math, rather price of the two systems.

That said, the Xbox 360 is an impressive machine that comes with superior online capabilities and a gamut of quality games, but the cheapskate in me chose the PS3 because a) it really is cheaper overall and b) it’s more reliable. This is why all the talk of the PS3 being more expensive baffles me.

When you put it in those absolute terms it makes sense, but I question two things. First, does anyone really know the system failure rate of either system? Second, it all comes down to games. Get the system(s) that has the games you want to play and set yourself free on this Independence Day. Freedom of choice is a good thing.

PSP, Obscure The Aftermath, and Vagina Monsters
To be perfectly honest, I have no idea about the Obscure franchise, but I just had to quote this one. After all, according to PlayStation LifeStyle, this game has a vagina monster. How cool is that?

The game not only features many monsters, but also many weapons to fight the monsters with. There are 22 weapons total for the characters to utilize. The monsters themselves are based upon various phobias. Yes, that includes the Vagina Monster. At least, that is what they were calling it during the demonstration. Hope none of you have that phobia.

So many opportunities with this one, but we have a lot of youngsters that drop by, so I better show some restraint.

Calling All Cars!
I have played Calling All Cars! rather infrequently since getting it for free in one of the first few Qore issues. There never seemed to be many players online, and I could not get into the single player mode. Yesterday, we decided to do some three player action. This was the first time my boys had played the game. I won the day, my oldest son had a blast, and my middle boy started to figure out the basics of the game as we were getting ready to shut down for the night. I think this one is going to get some play time; fun for the whole family type game.

Happy Birthday American, and of course Happy Saturday!

Braves bid for comeback in mediocre NL East.

At this point in the season, if you told me the Braves were going to be a game under .500 (39-40 to be precise), I would have told you the Brave would be 7+ games back of the Phillies and the Mets.

After winning 5 games in a row, including a 3 game sweep of Philadelphia earlier this week, Atlanta finds itself tied with New York, 1 GB of second place Florida, and 2 GB of slumping Philadelphia.

As we head towards the All-Star break, Atlanta has a chance of competing for the NL East title, but more realistically they will have to contend for the Wild Card spot. In order to push forward they need another bat in the outfield; they have to get more power and productivity from the corner outfield spots. While Garret Anderson has been solid in LF, when he is healthy, and Matt Diaz has been decent, their combined 9 HRs ties them for the team lead with Chipper Jones.

Then you have Jeff Francoeur in RF. It is time to move on from this failed experiment. A .620 OPS is just atrocious for a RF. How bad? Not only is Francoeur’s OPS the worst among all Braves starters, he is ranked 162 out of 169 across the board for the entire league. Then you add in Francoeur’s paltry 5 HRs, he is just not providing enough productivity to fill the starting RF slot. I know Francoeur is a hometown favorite that showed a ton of potential in his first three years, but I think a change of scenery will do him well.

Can the Braves make a push? It is possible, but one or two roster moves are in order for any sort of run to be possible.

Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time Preorder Mess.

If you want to see preorders gone bad, or dare I say how to completely and utterly f’up a preorder program just take a look at the newest Ratchet & Clank Future: A Crack in Time preorder fiasco. The game’s bonus material is available with your preorder depending on which retailer you decide to give your hard earned dollars. Excuse me?

Discovery (GameStop/EBGames), Power ([edit: TBD] ~~where or where is this one~~), Bolt (Amazon), and Space Page ([edit: WTF is Game Crazy?] ~~no idea which store has this one~~). If one of these bonuses catches your fancy, you preorder from the appropriate retailer. What happens if two or more catch your eye? Sony is basically pissing in the river, telling Ratchet fans to f’off, or just give us your cash. Thanks.

The reality is that I expect all of the bonus materials to end up on PSN via DLC. Of course at a price. You would think $60 was plenty for a game, so why rape us over the coals for bonus materials that should be included in the game? It is one thing to make money, and I am all for that, but I am surprised that Insomniac would agree to alienate their long time fans. Then again this has the stench of a Sony blunder written all over it.

Epilogue
Edit: After reading all of the comments, I thought this one was worth quoting.

James Stevenson replied on July 2, 2009 at 10:52 am

How do you know that we would charge for this content, and how do you know that it’s not unlockable in other ways on the disc?

Keep in mind this is still INSOMNIAC. We’re still going to do you guys right – but we also have to work with our retail partners who are making bigger pushes for in-game content as pre-order bonuses.

The sniff of a trend that I failed to notice. Retailers are looking for exclusive goodies, Sony needs to market and push the heck out of their first party games, and all the extras are locked away in the game. Maybe. I still say some of this is going to be premium DLC.

Saying no to NCAA Football 10.

Color me brave, but for the first time in forever [seriously] I am skipping the yearly release of NCAA Football. Why? I suppose there are a few reasons in no particular order.

The NCAA Football franchise has grown stale and is going in the wrong direction. Last year was a far cry from the 2000 and 2001 glory days of the PSX, which was probably the last time I really enjoyed NCAA Football. Other than the inevitable eye candy that came with the PS2 and PS3 releases, the NCAA franchise is a non starter for me.
I am too damn old to master two football games. Unlike the olden days, before the family multiplied like rabbits, I just do not have the time or energy to dedicate to multiple football games.
I love college football and will write all day long about Georgia and Texas. I actually have Falcons Season Tickets so I am a little more connected to the NFL. More up front and personal, which means I can predict that in November I will still be playing Madden while NCAA will be collecting dust or worse.
I have to be more financially responsible with my game purchases. Gone are the days when I could give a shit about throwing $100-120 bones on the table for football games. I actually need to get value for my gaming dollar. Good Lord, I am your typical Joe Blow consumer. What have I come too?
I no longer live in the game reviewer space, so I can ignore and alienate a major gaming segment. Screw you! Yes, it feels good to be released from the shackles of review-dom.

I could probably come up with other reasons, but for the first time in the history of EA’s NCAA Football franchise, I am going to pass. No thanks. So there. Holding my breath. Have to be strong and brave the storm of first day reviews, forum rantings and ravings, and not being part of the “in crowd.” This year I am going to concentrate on Madden and live in peace with the decision. Of course there is the PSP version, but that is for another day.