DSi Ware: Faceez

With the Nintendo DSi implementing its cameras and social features to compete with the likes of the iPod Touch, it was a matter of time before we began seeing more apps surface among the games. At the end of February, French developer/publisher Neko Entertainment entered this field, offering up a photo application entitled Faceez, available only on the Nintendo DSiWare service. Thankfully, Faceez enters in as one of a handful of apps that are actually making use of the dual camera setup integrated into the Nintendo DSi and steps in to give DSi owners a more robust creative portal in which they can alter their snapshots and spring them to life. Seeing as there is no gameplay to speak of in Faceez, this application might not be for everyone, but anyone interested in having a competent tool to go hand in hand with the cameras they spent $170 on should take notice of Faceez and its extremely suitable $2 price tag.

Again, please note Faceez is an application or a photo tool, to be more exact. As I do not classify it as a game, certain review elements and score labels are adjusted to accommodate as such.

Being a $2 photo application on the DSiWare service, Faceez is about as straightforward as one gets with its purpose and offerings. Faceez allows users to snap a photo of a visage on the fly or utilize existing photos saved on an SD card in order to create a Faceez – a creature that features an oversized portrait for a head and body, complete with stick-like arms and legs. Once a user has pasted someone’s (or something’s) face onto the Faceez, they are given a pre-existing set of more than 150 accessories ranging from hats to facial hair to a tuna the Faceez can hold in its hand. Once the appearance has been decided, the user can then select an animation such as ballet dancing or rapping motions for the Faceez and place them over an in-software background or another photo that has been already saved to the SD card. The user can then take a snapshot of this Faceez to save to their memory and by using the Nintendo DSi Wi-Fi service, you can slap these bad boys up on Facebook.

There you have it. That is the entire premise of Faceez, but the application strives on its simplicity and is very serviceable for 200 Wii Points, especially considering most companies wouldn’t settle for less than a $5 price point on most video gaming services. The application is very easy to use as the title will guide you through the photo process and the menus feature touch screen commands and tabs that are clear and easily understood. Most of the controls are laid out with scrolling bars and arrows the user can press to scroll through options and each command is very responsive. The Facebook sharing has been a key selling point for the title and its ease of use and camera functionality actually grabs at the purpose of the Nintendo DSi – making portable gaming a social outlet for casual gamers. Faceez nails this mission perfectly.

Most of the visuals depend on the user, seeing as a lot of the content is transferred over from photos snapped by the Nintendo DS or saved on the SD card, the title’s graphics are a matter of how well the user can take photos, along with the quality of the DSi’s camera. For the most part, this works out very well and the application even gives the user pointers with lighting, backgrounds, positioning and personal grooming in order to produce the best picture possible, which further adds to its accessibility. The in-software props aren’t overly detailed, but the cartoony look of the items works hand-in-hand with the silliness of the Faceez. However, the real treat is in getting the Faceez to animate, which generally results in some pretty funny scenarios, especially when you have a friend’s face attached.

The sound in Faceez is serviceable, but forgettable, with low-key music that merely serves a backdrop and typical menu-surfing sound effects. While the audio might not be too memorable, I doubt the goal was create powerful audio to accompany the application. The sound here does what it needs to do and nothing more.

Even though Faceez really hits the mark for a $2 application, there are a few aspects that drag the overall experience down a little. First, it would have been nice to utilize the Facebook functionality straight from the application instead of having to trudge back out to the Nintendo DSi menu. Normally, it wouldn’t have been such an issue, but when such a focal point of the game is being able to share the snapshots on Facebook, one will probably expect the feature to be implemented within the app. On that same token, there is no DSi-to-DSi sharing of any sort for the application, which would users to share photos or animated Faceez – a missed opportunity for those that would be devious enough to snap a shot of a fellow DSi player while they aren’t paying attention and send them a crazy caricature of themselves. While the application is entertaining for one person for maybe ten minutes at a time, it is quite amusing to see what a group of friends can come up with, especially since you can group multiple Faceez in the same picture, so being able to share somehow would have put this application up a few more notches.

With the odd number price points that release on the Ware services, DSi owners will sometimes find themselves with a couple hundred extra points to burn and Faceez is a solid recommendation to anyone that would like to have something that actually utilizes their cameras. For a couple of bucks, the application offers a surprising amount of items to throw onto your photos and users are only limited to their imagination and number of items they can conveniently photograph. The application might lose steam quickly for those that prefer to game by themselves and the lack of gameplay might turn some people away outright, however, Faceez is one of the more interesting and entertaining application items I’ve come across on DSiWare.

GemuBaka Final Review Score: 3 of 5

Even though Faceez is a photo application, its wacky creativity, use of the DSi cameras and low price point create a satisfying application offering for the Nintendo DSi. A few more functionality additions would have taken the application up a few notches, but, as it is, Faceez accomplishes what it set out to do with positive results. Outfitting your friends and family in goofy attire and animating them is genuinely amusing and the software makes this process painless. If you don’t mind spending a few paltry bucks on a solid application, you can’t go wrong with this title.

PSP Review: Fat Princess: Fistful of Cake

After a stellar 2009, the PSP’s library has dried up a tad, but it is still running strong thanks to the launch of PSP Minis and the handheld’s digital delivery platform. As such, it’s still refreshing when we see Sony roll out with a new original company-exclusive series that displays the uniqueness of its freshman portable effort. Tomorrow sees the release of Titan Studio’s Fat Princess on the PSP, under the subtitle Fistful of Cake, this time re-developed by SuperVillian Studios. A few slices had to be taken from this cake in order to accommodate the jump from the Playstation 3, however, the premise and extra content hold up well in the transition, even though there are some annoying caveats to keep in mind if you have an eye on this treat.

Much like the original version, Fistful of Cake oversees two armies – one blue and one red – duking it out in blood-soaked medieval-style combat. The premise is one of capture the flag, however, Fat Princess obviously substitutes a fair damsel in place of a flag. Carrying out your mission could be as simple as running straight through the opposition’s defenses and hiking back to your castle with the princess in tow, however, in video game fashion, of course, there is more to the premise. The princesses can be fattened up with magical cake, temporarily making them much harder to carry. In the meantime, the rest of the map unfolds with strategic warfare that sees players donning hats that assign them classes such as warriors, archers and mages, along with critical workers that gather up wood and stone materials to build barricades, ladders and catapults while also being able to upgrade the various hat machines for more powerful and versatile classes.

Fistful of Cake introduces a single-player “The Legend of the Fat Princess” mode that lays down an overall story. The princesses of the two warring factions used to meet up in gatherings, but upon discovering the magical cake in the forest, their craving for the cake creates a difficult situation for both kingdoms. Not too far into the mode, it is discovered that the craving curse can only be cured by the kiss of a prince and when it is declared Prince Albert (ugh …) will be in the area in the near future, the war between the two kingdoms becomes serious business as each king does everything in his power to make sure their daughter is the one that secures the prince’s affections. The story is hardly amazing, but it does a fair job in a genre that probably in most cases wouldn’t even attempt to craft an expanded narrative. Fortunately, Tom Kane (most notable recently for his work as Mr. Herriman on Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends) provides narration and commentary during the game, and his gruff, gentlemanly voice is a perfect fit for the fairy tale nature of the game, bumping the story’s appeal up quite a bit.

Thankfully, the title gives players quite a few modes to fall back on. Not only can the story mode be played on multiple difficulty settings, but the player can tackle a battle in free mode that allows for a healthy selection of modes that include four modes original to the PSP version. A survival-type mode also allows players to enter an arena and forsake the strategy elements of the main game to fend off enemies for as long as they can stay alive. Ad-Hoc and infrastructure modes allow for multiplayer, although the PSP version cuts the number of players allowed in a game. With features that allow a player to customize their avatars, extra maps and other exclusives, and a large number of different modifiers, there is actually a lot to do and see in Fistful of Cake, definitely giving players their money’s worth.

Even though the game is making a move to the PSP, the title doesn’t suffer too much in its presentation. The audio is still in the player’s face with satisfying combat sound effects and gruesome weapon blows that spill buckets of blood, and each tune is appropriate to the situation or stage, which really drives the action. Tom Kane’s commentary can be repetitive, but not only do the phrases alert players to happenings in the battle, hearing the various internet memes in his voice is sure to give most players a good chuckle.

Visually, the game makes great use of vivid colors, which really bring the environments to life. The menus and storybook sections feature cute-style handrawn art that is quite unique and humorous, and the menus are clean and filled with humorous descriptors of each option. The characters, on the other hand, suffer a little due to the zoomed-out nature of the maps. The soldiers are fairly jaggy around the edges and it is hard to discern much detail in the model or animations, which can really put players’ eyes to the test when groups of soliders meet in combat. In all, though, Fistful of Cake’s presentation really comes through to provide quality visuals and audio for the player to soak in.

The gameplay in Fistful of Cake is pretty straightforward, offering up very responsive controls. Characters control fluidly and most of the time respond as the player would like them to. Occasionally, there will some issues in picking up items, and it is at times a chore to reach up to the d-pad to attempt to control any CPU teammates in the area, but otherwise, the control is scheme is comfortable and makes sense. Likewise, the gameplay is just as straightforward, as while there are numerous modes of play, each one has a simple concept and the player is given a lot of freedom in accomplishing most of the goals.

Unfortunately, the biggest slam against Fistful of Cake is made evident when the player doesn’t have any humans to fill in the slots in their army. I’ll use the term “intelligence” loosely when describing the AI, as your CPU companions will do some downright frustrating things to make your mission two hundred percent more difficult than it should be.

In the mode where players are required to drop a bomb off in the opposing throne room, my AI would carry the bomb all the way to the goal. The bomb must set for about five seconds before going off, but at the last second, one of my CPU soldiers would pick up the bomb and kill everyone in the area with the explosion. Whatever. The final straw, though, came when the CPU did this to me three times in a row. You’ll also be constantly fighting against your CPU worker class for resources. In the mission where players must assemble an altar in the middle of the map, your CPU workers will be far more interested in wasting your resources to build ladders and gates and upgrade various hat machines. Even in the most simplistic of missions, I never know what my CPU teammates are doing because they sure aren’t interested in helping me nab the opposing princess, even when I attempt to utilize the feature to command units to tag along with me. In all, the CPU seems to have its own agenda no matter the goal of the current battle and these instances really grate away at an otherwise fun strategy title.

When you can actually click with your army and get things done, Fistful of Cake is actually quite rewarding, providing players with a satisfying blend of action and strategy. The game’s presentation and unique premise, combined with its humor, craft a very appealing title, and even with its downsides, Fat Princess is still a winner. There are six exclusive maps to provide more value and all of the maps feature quite a variety in environments and throw out some tricky terrain to traverse. There is a good variety of modes even for a single player, though the oafish AI might drive down the replay value and addictiveness the title would otherwise have. With a review copy prior to launch, I wasn’t able to test out the multiplayer, but future players can look forward to four versus four matchups. While this would still leave CPU drones on your teams, at least then you could look forward to up to three other (hopefully) competent soldiers to back you up. Fistful of Cake has the makings of a great title; unfortunately, the AI issues are seriously a big enough of a drag to hold the title back a few notches from “must-buy” territory.

While Fistful of Cake is a port of a PS3 title, you won’t really find anything else like it on the system and a number of refreshing changes have been made to provide exclusive content. If you can find a way to shake off the frustration the AI will no doubt dish out to you, Fistful of Cake is worth every penny. It’s got a lot of charm and solid gameplay to back it up, but players won’t get the most out of their time with the game unless they dive into the online or local multiplayer.

GemuBaka Final Review Score: 4 of 5

Fistful of Cake is what the PSP really needs right now – Sony-exclusive titles with a ton of charm and appeal. This Fat Princess remake features a ton of solid gameplay, unique strategy elements, great presentation and exclusive game content that provides great variety. There are a few technical issues, but interested gamers will really have to take some narrow-minded AI into account. Your CPU drones will do things that will make you triple facepalm and these instances really drag the game down a bit. Outside of these issues, Fistful of Cake is fantastic game that will give PSP owners a great distraction for only $19.99.

Xbox Indie Review: Lewjmele

Originally from Diehard GameFAN.com

We’re known to not ignore the Xbox LIVE Indies service when we can and today’s quick look comes in the form of Prodigy’s Lewjmele, a vertical shmup that hit the service recently. The chosen genre pits Lewjmele against some classic shmup titles on Xbox LIVE Arcade such as Ikaruga, Triggerheart Exlica and 1942, and even other Indie efforts such as Shoot 1Up. Against these titles, Prodigy gives the genre an honest go but, in the end, some much-needed polish is needed to make Lewjmele a contender.

The game’s $5 price point puts it in a better position to appeal to gamers over most of the titles on the Arcade service. As such, though, the title doesn’t come packed with a large amount of features, leaving players with a story mode and a score attack mode. The story mode does offer players the choice of experiencing a cycle of five stages from the unique perspectives of three different characters, which extends the playability of the title a little bit. Otherwise, the score attack mode merely allows the player to choose a specific stage and go for broke. Both modes provide three different difficulty levels, though, so bullet hell veterans can pump up the challenge if they wish. Finally, while character-driven shmups can be acceptable single-player endeavors, it would have been nice to allow a local buddy jump in to add more value to the game modes.


Even though the title is a shmup, Lewjmele actually makes somewhat of an effort to tell a story, which is contrary to many titles in the genre. An ancient weapon “Lewjmele” was discovered by civilization and, over time, it was discovered it could give people the power of necromancy. The weapon was hidden because people began to abuse its powers and, in typical gaming fashion, this weapon gets into the wrong hands once again. As the struggle for power tears the land apart, three heroes from differing nations depart to bring peace to the land. Each character has his or her own story that accompanies the story mode at the beginning of each chapter. Unfortunately, while this should make the game’s characters and world interesting, some of the text is awkwardly translated and it disappears from the screen far too fast for most people to actually read it.

For an Indie title, Lewjmele actually sports some solid presentation. The attempted anime stylings should appeal to those interested in the artform and while a lot of character models aren’t too detailed and can be too small for comfort, they are certainly colorful. The game’s projectiles are also fairly vivid, which allows them to play into Lewjmele’s gem mechanic, which I will detail in just a bit. While the characters are 2-D, they are placed over a generally well-done 3-D background. These backgrounds sport some fair detail and the scrolling is spot on, making transitions such as traversing down a hollow spire in stage five memorable.

Lewjmele’s sound gets the job done without being spectacular. The game’s music provides some energy and drives most of the stages along well enough, but many of the title’s sound effects are meek and it seems certain situations such as boss explosions demand a lot more effects. The title does have some Japanese voiceovers to give the sound its biggest punch, but it could have definitely used some more effects to flesh out the audible experience.

Unfortunately, the gameplay in Lewjmele, doesn’t hold up as well. That’s not to say the title is downright horrible, but some nagging issues, steep difficulty and lack of gameplay explanations really show the title needed some more polish before being unleashed.

Lewjmele shows some innovation in its gem slot mechanic, allowing players to capture gem pieces in one of three slots to dictate the style of their firepower. If the player captures three of the same-colored gem, their aura then turns that color, making them impervious to enemy fire of that color. It’s an intriguing concept that is used fairly well in-game, but this is explained nowhere in the game and it took two to three playthroughs before I understood what exactly the gems did outside of increasing the number of projectiles I shot.

Outside of that mechanic, Lewjmele brings nothing new to the table for the genre, which isn’t exactly bad news for those that love the genre, but you’ll get a share of game issues in tow. The hit detection in some instances, especially for bosses, seemed a tad spotty and there were a number of instances where I felt I shouldn’t have taken a hit, which, coupled with occasional lag, made for a frustrating experience. The bosses also have a number of uninspired bullet patterns, with some cheap ones keeping you from attacking it thanks to the extremely narrow range of your character’s projectiles. The decision to frame the playfield is confusing as there is no arcade monitor aspect ratio to obtain and this results in a very narrow playfield with a lot of wasted space. Lastly, nothing really interesting seems to happen outside of the boss battles, which is a shame, especially considering how short each level is.


With these issues, it’s hard to call Lewjmele addictive and if it weren’t for the roster of different character stories, there would essentially be zero replayability in the title, sans leaderboards. The difficult nature of the title (filling the screen as soon as the first stage, even on easy) won’t do much for casual players and, unfortunately, the options of playing better shmup titles doesn’t bode well for appeal from fans of the genre. There are some options to change factors such as health to your advantage, but given the game gives the player no direction whatsoever, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see someone move on quickly after they fail to grasp some of the game’s mechanics. Ultimately, while the title does have some noticeable high points, it’s hard to say it gives the player value, even at $5.

GemuBaka Final Review Score: 2 of 5

Lewjmele is far from the worst game I’ve ever played, but it is disappointing to see its flaws, considering, with a little more polish, it could have been a great addition to a shmup fan’s library. The title has favorable presentation, it actually attempts to give a player a full story and there are some unique stylings to its gameplay. However, its lack of interesting game modes, uninspired stage design, poor hit detection and more really dampen the title’s gameplay and replayability. When you stack the difficulty on top of these issues, the appeal really starts to wane and gamers will most likely move on with their $5. With a solid foundation, though, if Prodigy can move on and remedy these issues, a Lewjmele sequel would likely deliver a lot more value to the player.

My Persuasion Theory Final Project for The University of Toledo

I will be creating a propaganda campaign of my own in which I will represent and work with the company Galloping Ghost studios in the promotion and brand image building of its first product. Galloping Ghost Studios is an independent video game developer and arcade vendor based in Brookfield, IL, and its first product is a motion-captured fighting arcade machine titled Dark Presence.

In the promotion of Dark Presence, the company has two critical roadblocks to overcome, both based on the format it represents: It features direct digital footage of live actors (to compare it to the most popular fighting title using digitized footage, Midway’s Mortal Kombat from 1992, while not the first to implement live actors into a fighting video game, was the first to use the technique to critical and financial success) and it is being developed as an arcade title.

The digital footage arises as an issue due to the fact that following the success of Mortal Kombat, many companies attempted to cash in on the concept and it created a fad of digitized fighters in which a large number of very poor quality titles were developed. Furthermore, the former home console developer SEGA forced a number of very poor quality full motion video titles (games where the player watched the action unfold through digital movies utilizing actors and sets) in order to drive its SEGA CD disc-based format, also in 1992. With many companies believing digital footage to be the future of video games, this concept was forced onto gamers and the poor quality of the majority of the product, as deemed by aggregate criticisms, led to the failure and conditioned opinion of the format.

Given the timing of the full motion fad, this is going to have a great effect on the groups that Aristotle defines as the prime of age and the elderly. Because of the glut of poor quality of digitized games in the early to mid ‘90s, many people have what Huxley’s Brave New World’s Director refers to as an “instinctive hatred” of the format. This represents the Pavlovian approach to propaganda; thus, any media based on Dark Presence will most likely act as a stimulus that triggers this with “reflexes unalterably conditioned.” This is a clear area where horizontal propaganda will work against the company and it is perhaps the biggest obstacle to clear considering certain publics are already denouncing the product solely due to similarities to products released in the ‘90s.

Secondly, the development of an arcade title is a risky proposition in the 21st Century, considering the weakened state of the industry in the United States. Many of the most prominent arcade developers began to focus solely on the home console market in the late ‘90s and in the previous decade due to the technology catching up to the quality seen in arcades. Online gaming has replaced the social aspect of arcades and the social stereotype of arcades developed in the ‘80s – children skipping school, loitering and causing trouble in town – led to a number of strict coin operation laws that crippled a number of these locations. In fact, only two months ago, a pinball parlor in Beacon, NY, was shuttered due to the city’s decision to enforce a law created in the ‘80s. These laws have even affected Galloping Ghost in the opening of its first arcade in Brookfield, IL, due to an old law that prohibits more than six coin-operated machines in a single business.

Furthermore, thanks to runaway hits such as Konami’s DanceDanceRevolution (a title which plays original tunes and licenses from the European Toshiba-EMI label while players were tasked to follow commands by stepping on floor panels in time to the music) and Namco’s Time Crisis (a gun game that allows players to seek cover from enemy bullets through the use of a foot pedal) spiked the utilization of “deluxe cabinets” (oversized or featuring controls beyond the typical joystick and buttons) in order to garner a gamer’s interest away from the home formats. Unfortunately, this also led to increased costs which many arcade owners couldn’t keep up with. With very few companies producing materials for the industry and a number of established arcade locations closing within the past five years, most outlets have publicly announced the format as “dead” and this is a sentiment many perceive as a fact even though it is an exaggeration. This again echoes the concepts of Pavlovian conditioning as well as Ellul’s theory of crystallization, which will be detailed later.

With the major obstacles defined, Galloping Ghost’s campaign will need to be set up in order combat these ingrained beliefs.

Immediately, Galloping Ghost has a fantastic weapon against these factors. The company is still in the middle of the game’s initial programming, so no one in the public has seen the game running in motion or been able to physically interact with the product. This is a key element and strength of any propaganda campaign as it puts the company in a position to interpret the reality of the product for the consumer. It also ties into another very powerful act of propaganda in wholly controlling the flow of information about the product, which Galloping Ghost is already handling very well. The head of the company Dock Mack is already selective in what information gets provided to the public, so this is an area where any future campaigning would benefit from.

This further allows the company to put out information based on what will be perceived to change behavior, or implement Dewey’s sense of public relations. Simple public relations sticks the facts out for the consumer, but effective PR interprets information for the consumer, as people remember interpretations far more clearly and when they reflect the values and beliefs of the audience, these interpretations are very effective calls to action.

A key starting point is in developing an identity or brand image for the Galloping Ghost company. By advertising who Galloping Ghost is, we can develop a sense of ethos for the audience in order to make the messages more effective. Since expertise is a key segment of ethos, we can establish that the development team is comprised of a number of competitive fighting game players based on arcade titles such as Midway’s Mortal Kombat, Capcom’s Street Fighter and more. The company can further develop its ethos by letting people know they own and operate their own arcade location and understand what it is arcade owners would be looking for in an arcade cabinet. Aristotle further states one can gain ethos through honesty, fairness, humor, positive attitude and sincerity, all of which could be reflected upon with any campaigns.

Galloping Ghost also has relationships which can garner ethos by proxy. The development has a working relationship with a majority of the martial arts actors that portrayed characters in the early Mortal Kombat games, so using their support benefits the company in a number of ways. First, it reflects the values and beliefs of quality – since these actors were in a successful game, they must be supporting another successful game. Secondly, having such recognition lends expertise and credibility to the product. Furthermore, while these actors are not featured in the game, they have recommended their own martial arts students for implementation in the game, which gives a portion of the cast notoriety. Lastly, those of prime or elder age will have memories of the Mortal Kombat titles and by having announced public appearances of these supporting actors, the company can gather fans and interested people to create a group, which has a number of benefits as indicated by Ellul and LeBon.

To further elaborate on groups, the systematic arrangement of the public will be a crucial element in the success of the game title. There are certainly a number of publics assembled based on the arcade industry and various other video game sources that cater to the industries Galloping Ghost is involved in, the youth and others not actively involved with games have to rely on other interpretive sources for their propaganda and nearly all of these reflect digitized games and arcades in a negative light. Seeing as a game of this nature hasn’t been attempted for more than a decade, the general consumer only has these “archaic” images to paint their beliefs and through the concept of crystallization (or selective perception), most of these people will only accept information that reflects what they currently believe.

The odd thing about the two main obstacles the company faces is they are both a pro and a con for the different age groups involved. The prime of age and elderly have fond memories of arcades, while the typical youth has no memory of arcades. On the other hand, the prime of age and elderly have reservations about digitized games, but this will seem likely an entirely new technology to the youth.

For the elderly, we can utilize Aristotelian thought to address the experience of those involved in the company and it needs to admit that the majority of the products introduced in the format are poor in quality. The practicality and usefulness of the features of the arcade cabinet need to be addressed and since Aristotelian thought indicates the elderly have no confidence in the future, it could be said instead that today’s technology corrects what has been attempted in the past.

Admittedly, the youth will easier to attract due to their nature, as described by Aristotle. They are easily swayed by sexuality and Dark Presence does feature a female cast and a few suggestive themes that would reflect the Freudian approach to propaganda. However, what really drives the youth appeal lies in the fact it is a video game: The youth has a love of victory and superiority which would result from the competitive nature of the game and tournaments and they are fond of friends and fun, which are social staples of the arcade environment. Furthermore, the youth are far more optimistic and accepting, so the game’s format would likely resonate better with this group.

Since arcades are now mostly prominent in larger cities, this brings Ellul’s concept of mass society theory into a more prominent light. Seeing as entertainment media is largely recognized as sociological propaganda, much of Dark Presence’s campaigning would address social needs for the public. Leading up to the launch of the game, public appearances of the title would be done in group fashion in order to more effectively promote the game. Game tests would be held in public places where many people gather and tournaments would draw in like-minded individuals to further promote horizontal propaganda. The company will also be utilizing social technologies such as Facebook to attract groups of people, so Galloping Ghost largely stands to benefit from horizontal and group propaganda.

Another technique implemented in promoting the product is in amplification. Making one aspect of something seem like many is something video game marketing does on a grand scale considering many games are built from the framework of a single premise. Stating the game has “15,000+ frames of animation, 200+ moves and reactions per character and 437 finishing moves” amplifies a simple aspect of the game and, at the same time, it provides relevant truths and facts for the consumer.

Using front organizations and accommodation will also further assist the product in its campaign. Galloping Ghost already utilizes fronts such as interest groups including Arcade Heroes, which will deliver any relevant message to the appropriate audience for the company. Galloping Ghost already has a front organization in its control, known as the Support Your Local Arcades initiative, which would come in great use in promoting the game. In order to further the use of these techniques, the company could set up “leaks” of game content or encourage the development of fan sites in order to spread the word from an “unbiased” source. The company could also further its reach of pubic relations by utilizing specialized services such as GamesPress.com, which would host content based on the game for games journalists to take and report on.

Lastly, and perhaps, most importantly, though, the company has to cognitively penetrate and stick in the minds of the consumer. This is already being done with the stress on the digitized live actors, but more can be done to push this crucial element of propaganda. The release of media and screenshots will stick the image of these live actors into people’s minds and by utilizing big visuals, the person will have a clear memory of what the images entail. I’ve already detailed how sexuality would stick, especially in the minds of the youth, and simple slogans can be used to stick into the consumer’s mind. The game title would also carry gnostic values, as the development of a game utilizing these formats is a rarity today.

In summation, Galloping Ghost could effectively campaign its first game title by utilizing a number of key elements we learned through the course of our persuasion theory course. It can implement nearly every single commandment of propaganda as applicable and many of the theories projected by Aristotle, Ellul and LeBon can be relevantly introduced. The company has two very large obstacles in the format it is utilizing, but these can be overcome by adjusting the messages based on age groups, enhancing the company’s ethos and brand image, segmenting and sending target groups specific messages, controlling the flow of information, reflecting on the values and beliefs of the audience and cognitively penetrating and sticking within the mind of the consumer. A number of external tools are available in order to promote effective horizontal propaganda, while combating rival propaganda that stems from conditioned beliefs.

Once further progress is made on the game, the public will become more involved with the product and the marketing efforts will increase in order to promote the title to arcade owners, which, in reality, is the true initial target market of the product. Arcade owners have memories of arcades as they were in the ‘80s and ‘90s, so reflections of these values will take the title very far. In order to continue making money and progress for Galloping Ghost, though, arcade gamers will also have to derive value from the product. By utilizing techniques already in place by the company, combined with other approaches, there is no reason Dark Presence cannot be successful in the ailing industry of coin-operated entertainment.

Event Overview for Owens CC Gaming Club

Tuesday, Oct. 12 allowed a number of Owens students to throw down on the digital streets as the college’s Gamers United club hosted its first competition of the school year with Capcom’s one-on-one fighting game Super Street Fighter IV.

Featuring two Microsoft Xbox 360 consoles running the game, the free tournament saw 10 students enter for a chance to win gift cards to the campus’ bookstore. With a qualifying pool and an eight-person elimination bracket, psychology student Carl White stormed through nine different matchups undefeated to have his hand raised in victory after the dust settled. Utilizing a handful of the game’s various characters, White noted he has been competing on Street Fighter IV since the game’s initial release in 2008.

“At that point, there was nothing else to play,” White explained. “People stopped playing Dead or Alive [the fourth installment of Tecmo’s one-on-one fighting franchised released on the Xbox 360 back in 2005] and at that time, that was my game.”

Before picking up on either of the aforementioned titles, White said he actively played a number of fighting game titles that are now staples of the annual Evolution 2K tournament, the United States’ largest competitive fighting game event, such as Street Fighter III: Third Strike, Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Capcom Vs. SNK 2 and Marvel Vs. Capcom 2. White attended this year’s “EVO” tournament, along with various other competitions throughout the past couple of years and was enthusiastic about the fighting video game circuit.

“The people around Toledo haven’t been too exposed,” he said, making note to the fact that larger competitions are primarily found in larger cities such as Columbus and Detroit. “Playing here, though, I can see everyone really has potential. Overall, competitions are getting really big. This year, EVO had 2,000 people in just one event, but, still even local events can pull in about 50, with regionals reaching 500.”

The Street Fighter series, crafted by Japanese company Capcom back in 1987, has mostly depicted renowned martial artists Ryu and Ken as they interact with other fighters in worldwide fighting tournaments. Because of the focus on vivid and unique characters, the company has enjoyed revenue stemming from comics, books, movies and other merchandising opportunities featuring the Street Fighter name throughout the years. Since the initial release, nearly every Street Fighter game sees two players (or one player fighting a computer-controlled character) pitted against each other in one-on-one hand-to-hand combat, utilizing a joystick (or controller pad) and six attack buttons.

According to software sales tracker VGChartz, the original entry of Street Fighter IV has accumulated sales of more than 3 million copies worldwide, banking off its popularity stemming from the fact Street Fighter II caused arcades and the fighting game genre to explode in the early ‘90s. The “Super” version of the title, released late in April this year, added a new selection of fighting characters, moves, modes and more to create a budget update release for those who couldn’t get enough of the game. The life of the franchise, as Capcom reported at the end of its fiscal year 2008-2009, has enjoyed more than 29 million units sold worldwide, placing it among the top 50 best-selling video game franchises of all time on many sales sources.

“Fighting games as we know them today essentially began with Street Fighter II back in 1991,” said Gamers United club advisor Chris Zasada about the series. “It featured a refinement and complexity that had never been seen in a video game before and its contributions to gaming are immeasurable, securing the Street Fighter name in pop culture legend. Street Fighter IV represents the first numbered sequel of the primary franchise in eleven years and, while the graphics have greatly improved and the game is more refined, fans and newcomers alike flock to the game because the competitive spirit and fun of a Street Fighter game hasn't changed a bit.”

Although the Street Fighter competition is finished for 2010, Gamers United certainly isn’t done for the year. On Tuesday, Oct. 26, a Left 4 Dead 2 competition will spark a Halloween theme for the club and on Tuesday, Nov. 9, Gamers United will host more shooting action with a Halo: Reach competition. Both events will start at 5:30 p.m. in AVCC 125 and interested players can get more info at www.occgamersunited.info.

Repurposing: Halo: Reach Article Revised for Owens Outlook

Here is an example of repurposing a piece for publication. I took my previous piece, took out all elements of Napoleon and subtituted the quotes with relevant sources. The information is also updated.

In the still of the night, thousands worldwide dug into the trenches in preparation for a Sept. 14 standoff. Fueled by beverages and snack food rations, these future soldiers refused to give up their position.

Many waited hours for the opposing side to act first and at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, the gate finally opened for them to make a move of their own. As the GameStop and other video game retailer locations across the United States finally opened up for midnight business, this army of eager gamers flooded into the storefront to be among the first to get their hands on the thumb-blistering digital warfare of Halo: Reach.

“This is the legacy of Halo,” Owens’ Gamers United Advisor Chris Zasada explained of the appeal of the game and these events. “As each game has been released, a new milestone and hordes of new fans are created. There’s a reason fans camp out in front of stores at night, braving the elements, just to be among the first to secure their copy of the next Halo entry.”

Billed with one of the most recognizable brand names among gamers, this entertainment juggernaut drew in thousands as a part of the gaming spectacle of midnight launches, of which many were held worldwide for the Halo release. Reserved for only the most anticipated of titles, the midnight launch of gaming product is pretty self explanatory – stores operate special late-night hours to get these hot titles into the hands of gamers the second the calendar flips over to the game’s allocated release date.

These launches are more notorious when one of the three console manufacturers, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, release their newest gaming platforms, which typically take gaming hardware into the “next generation.” For such releases, it wasn’t uncommon for people to wait outside of a store for days, claiming their rightful spot in line for the product while camping out with coolers and lawn chairs. Such campers became so adamant and showing up earlier and earlier for releases that many locations now prohibit the act and set up special dates where people can come and be placed on a list to avoid such acts of "loitering."

Specifically for Halo: Reach, the Times Square Best Buy in New York City was host to thousands of fans of the series, with the location's theater featuring a music performance and a chance for visitors to meet the creators of the game. Seattle also hosted a grand-scale event at the The Experience Music Project/Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame, with more creators from the game present in order to carry out official tournaments.

“The release of Halo: Reach marks a historic end to the series,” stated Zasada on the scope of the release’s recognition. “This is the last release by the series’ original creator and developer, Bungie, who has expressed interest in moving on to other projects with other companies. While Microsoft still owns the Halo franchise, the departure of the original developer marks a significant change to the record-breaking series that began almost ten years ago. The final chapter written by the group that created this legend is nothing short of historical to the gaming community and the world of entertainment”

With Microsoft Game Studios Vice President Phil Spencer announcing Halo: Reach pulling in day one sales of $200 million (which at the standard price of $60, translates to more than 3 million copies sold), many are counting on the title to be 2010’s biggest sales success. The popularity of the title has exploded since Bungie developed the original title Halo: Combat Evolved for the Xbox in 2001, making it the first certifiable success for Microsoft’s fledgling debut system.

The series depicts futuristic warfare where players control human soldiers that wear enhanced armor through an elite squad known as Spartans as they fight off an alien race known as the Covenant. The series' gameplay uses a format known as first-person shooting where the player views the action through the eyes of their character and while single-player modes are available in each installment, the success of the franchise has stemmed from its competitive modes that essentially made console online gaming successful thanks to the release of Halo 2. Before this release, even though a number of gaming systems had online capabilities, online gaming was a feature nearly exclusive to the PC format.

Bungie estimates the series as a whole will push the franchise’s sales figures beyond $2 billion some time this year. Given the company made a Twitter statement announcing Halo: Reach has already surpassed the record for concurrent unique users on Xbox LIVE (a record previously held by Halo 3, which sold $600 million in 2007, with day-one sales of $170 million), it is very likely the title will hold up to these lofty expectations.

Backed by a gargantuan marketing campaign on the part of Microsoft and padded by a critical reception averaging at 92 percent on the review aggregator Metacritic.com, it already seems like Halo: Reach has a hefty portion of gamers already sold on the title. During the launch period, Amazon listed the title’s four packages among the company’s top 10 sellers, placing the standard edition of the game at number one and the limited edition package, retailing at $80 and packaged in a special case with extra items, at number 2. The Legendary Edition of the title, packaged in crate-style container with an exclusive statue crafted by McFarlane Toys, still ranked at number six even though it was produced in very limited numbers and carried a $150 price tag. Players also had the option to purchase Halo: Reach in an Xbox 360 system bundle that also included two Halo-themed controllers and a 250 gigabyte hard drive for $400 and this ranked in at number seven for Amazon. In the United Kingdom, storefronts HMV and Play also listed the standard and limited editions at one and two on top sales lists respectively.

Furthermore, according to the U.K.'s GfK Chart-Track, Halo: Reach has also spurred interest in the Xbox 360 system itself. GfK director Dorian Bloch revealed to U.K. publication Eurogamer that the system drove a 99 percent console sales increase during its launch week. While many sales figures have poured out from U.K. sources, the only product sales source in the U.S. tracking video games sales, market research firm NPD, only releases stats monthly and comes under criticism from some in the industry due to the fact it allegedly does not have an agreement with heavy-hitting sales giant Wal-Mart to provide figures and it also does not track digital downloads.

Bloomburg has predicted the title will move 10 million copies of the game this year and Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan who is known for specializing in gaming industry predictions, predicts it will be 2010’s top-selling title. Even so, Pachter feels Halo: Reach won’t have quite the sales punch 2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, developed by Infinity Ward and published by third-party giant Activision, had last year. He noted the title, billed as the single-biggest day-one entertainment release in history by Activision, pushed 15 million copies in 2009 alone.

Figures aside, in the end, all that really matters is the smiling faces of those that picked up their copy of Halo: Reach. Even with Bungie now moving on to new products, Sept. 14 proved the gaming community has stuck with the series until the end.

Halo: Reach Draws Gamers Out for Midnight Events

In the still of the night, more than 100 dug into the trenches in preparation for a Sept. 14 standoff. Fueled by beverages and snack food rations, these future soldiers refused to give up their position.

Many waited hours for the opposing side to act first and at 12:01 a.m. on Tuesday, the gate finally opened for them to make a move of their own. As the GameStop location in Napoleon, Ohio, finally opened up for midnight business, this army of eager gamers flooded into the storefront to be among the first to get their hands on the thumb-blistering digital warfare of Halo: Reach.

Billed with one of the most recognizable brand names among gamers, this entertainment juggernaut drew in roughly 130 to the Napoleon retailer as a part of the gaming spectacle of midnight launches, of which many were held worldwide for the Halo release. Reserved for only the most anticipated of titles, the midnight launch of gaming product is pretty self explanatory – stores operate special late-night hours to get these hot titles into the hands of gamers the second the calendar flips over to the game’s allocated release date.

These launches are more notorious when one of the three console manufacturers, Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo, release their newest gaming platforms, which typically take gaming hardware into the “next generation.” For such releases, it wasn’t uncommon for people to wait outside of a store for days, claiming their rightful spot in line for the product while camping out with coolers and lawn chairs. Such campers became so adamant and showing up earlier and earlier for releases that many locations now prohibit the act and set up special dates where people can come and be placed on a list to avoid such acts of "loitering."

While most software releases aren’t so competitive as discs are printed in a far larger number than initial game consoles are manufactured, it doesn’t stop some gamers from showing up well in advance. In the case of the Napoleon GameStop, Johnny Puckett of Napoleon was the first person in the lineup for the game, arriving at 1:30 p.m., essentially half of a day prior to the game’s launch. Having had the game reserved for him since the beginning of summer, Puckett attributed the early arrival to dedication.

“It was dedication as I am a big Halo fan,” he explained. “I wanted to be the first person in line today.”

Puckett looked forward to the release and its online play, which allows those with Xbox LIVE Gold subscriptions to play against or cooperate with other Halo owners around the world. He noted Halo 3, developed by Bungie and released by Microsoft in 2007, was his favorite so far, but Puckett wants to continue the experience and be exposed to the franchise’s full story since Reach serves as a prequel to the original game in the series.

“I’m really looking forward to the campaign,” he eagerly stated. “I’m ready for the challenge of beating the game on the legend difficulty.”

Of course, Puckett wasn’t the only spectator at the event. Lined up behind him were more than 100 other fans of the series, grinding the waiting time down while socializing with other gamers that shared the same interests. A group arriving at 8 p.m. lugged a card table out on the sidewalk of the city’s last remaining active shopping plaza and invited others to participate in Magic: The Gathering collectable card game matches. Others tossed a football back and forth, used stereos to play music for others or even pulled out portable gaming devices such as mobile phones, Sony PSPs or Nintendo DS systems to pass the time. Napoleon, a small city of roughly 10,000 people, normally sees its businesses close no later than 9 p.m. through the week, so the situation creates a one-of-a-kind event that the Napoleon GameStop manager Kolt Handy labels as a “social event.”

“People get to enjoy each other’s company,” he said. “It’s really more than just picking up the game. It becomes a social event and not just a release.”

Adding to the social aspects of the event was the station set beside the store’s doors by the local branch of the United States Marines. With a red, metal bar hoisted from a frame, those in attendance were given a chance to show off their physical mettle by attempting as many pull-ups as possible. Each attempt garnered many cheers from the crowd and those closing in on the current record had everyone counting off each repetition and shouting encouragement. Those in the top 15 of the pull-up challenge were awarded with promotional material such as posters for games including Halo: Reach and Lionhead Studio’s upcoming Fable III, another critical series to Microsoft’s portfolio that only sees a release on its formats.

With so many people gathering for the release, Handy tied this aspect into why Halo is so popular.

“The multiplayer is a huge aspect to the game,” he noted. “It’s just a fun game and people get behind the story. It’s the first first-person shooter a lot of people got into with their friends and they just want to stick with it.”

While no specific sales measures have been made available after the title’s first full day on sale, many are counting on the title to be 2010’s biggest sales success. The popularity of the title has exploded since Bungie developed the original title Halo: Combat Evolved for the Xbox in 2001, making it the first certifiable success for Microsoft’s fledgling debut system. The series depicts futuristic warfare where players control human soldiers that wear enhanced armor through an elite squad known as Spartans as they fight off an alien race known as the Covenant. The series' gameplay uses a format known as first-person shooting where the player views the action through the eyes of their character and while single-player modes are available in each installment, the success of the franchise has stemmed from its competitive modes that essentially made console online gaming successful thanks to the release of Halo 2. Before this release, even though a number of gaming systems had online capabilities, online gaming was a feature nearly exclusive to the PC format.

Bungie estimates the series as a whole will push the franchise’s sales figures beyond $2 billion some time this year. Given the company made a Twitter statement announcing Halo: Reach has already surpassed the record for concurrent unique users on Xbox LIVE (a record previously held by Halo 3, which sold $600 million in copies in 2007), it is very likely the title will hold up to these lofty expectations.

Backed by a gargantuan marketing campaign on the part of Microsoft and padded by a critical reception averaging at 92 percent on the review aggregator Metacritic.com, it already seems like Halo: Reach has a hefty portion of gamers already sold on the title. Amazon has listed the title’s four packages on the company’s top 10 sellers, placing the standard edition of the game at number one and the limited edition package, retailing at $80 and packaged in a special case with extra items, at number 2. The Legendary Edition of the title, packaged in crate-style container with an exclusive statue crafted by McFarlane Toys, still ranked at number six even though it was produced in very limited numbers and carried a $150 price tag. Players also had the option to purchase Halo: Reach in an Xbox 360 system bundle that also included two Halo-themed controllers and a 250 gigabyte hard drive for $400 and this ranked in at number seven for Amazon. In the United Kingdom, storefronts HMV and Play are also already listing the standard and limited editions at one and two on top sales lists respectively.

Bloomburg has predicted the title will move 10 million copies of the game this year and Michael Pachter, an analyst with Wedbush Morgan who is known for specializing in gaming industry predictions, predicts it will be 2010’s top-selling title. Even so, Pachter feels Halo: Reach won’t have quite the sales punch 2009’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2, developed by Infinity Ward and published by third-party giant Activision, had last year. He noted the title, billed as the single-biggest day-one entertainment release in history by Activision, pushed 15 million copies in 2009 alone.

However, in the end, all that really matters is the smiling faces of those that picked up their copy of Halo: Reach. Handy noted his previous midnight release only drew 10 people, so in his mind, the launch was a hearty success. As many people at the Napoleon launch admitted to calling off of work and school to play Halo: Reach, it seems there are at least 100-plus gamers that will definitely be getting their money’s worth out of the title.

About GemuBaka

Seeing as I will be utlizing this blog location for a class portfolio, I figured I might as well explain a few things so people know what exactly is going on here.

What is GemuBaka?
GemuBaka is a collection of works from the GemuBaka collaboration. The name is derived from the Japanese loan word for game as well as “baka,” which in one of its variants means “crazy.” In a literal sense, the phrase means “game crazy,” which would describe one who is crazy about games. Fortunately, that describes us perfectly. GemuBaka catalogs the works of the GB team and spans a wide range of video game topics to include features, previews, reviews, editorials, FAQs and more. Pretty much the only item we do not feature here is game news – a facet we see as fairly pointless considering about a million other sites would be reporting on the same thing. Our scope does not stop at current systems as we look back upon past systems from the 1980s forward. While it doesn’t always happen, we try to update the site with at least one new feature every weekday, however, at the minimum, there is at least one update every week.

Who is GemuBaka?
GemuBaka is the collaborative efforts of nestlekwik and MixMasterLar. The two authors became accquainted while working on projects through Rithum Interactive, including Rithum News, a video games-based Web site that covered video game news while producing original features and reviews on a daily basis. Although the site was scrapped in early 2008 in favor of a more ambitious project from the company, the two still saw potential in what they had to offer in their writings, forming GemuBaka nearly six months following the close of the site.

Nestlekwik (aka D.J. Tatsujin) has been writing about video games for the past seven years, being published and holding positions at sources such as Blogcritics.org and self-published materials before joining Rithum. Since then, he has spread out to work with sources such as Diehard GameFAN.com, J2Games, Video Game Collector Magazine, Arcade Heroes, Bemanistyle and more. Nestlekwik has been playing games actively since 1985 and has lightly dabbled into nearly every aspect of the video game industry, which includes app development, independent game conceptualization, journalism, public relations, marketing and more.

MixMasterLar joined up with Nestlekwik at Rithum News and has stuck with the cause since that time. A fairly well-known member of the DDR culture and a lover of the fighting game genre, Lar helped shape the J2Games segment The Nestlekwik Happy Hour and launched the Objective Tangent line of editorials for GemuBaka. Also a video game reviewer, Lar has contributed to sources such as J2Games and Video Game Collector Magazine.

Haven’t I seen some of your work on “x site?”
Most likely. As stated earlier, GemuBaka is an active contributor to a handful of other gaming sites past and present and the GB site serves as a sort of HQ or portfolio for our works, along with any original musings we decide to craft exclusively for the site.

Just to clarify, so there are no confusions, we are not a scraper site. We do not just pull someone else's work from another site and report it as news. GemuBaka only reprints work when a member of the site creates an original work for another site and we are given permission to reprint it on our site. Thus, you should know any article posted on this site comes from its original author. The site is more than a collection of works from other sites as we do produce original materials for the site as well. You can view any site-exclusive material on our GemuBaka Exclusive Feature page over at www.gemubaka.com.

Interview with Nana-OnSha's Masaya Matsuura

We really shouldn't have to introduce Masaya Matsuura as his work on 1997's Playstation hit PaRappa the Rapper is the reason why a good chunk of us are here today, writing on a Web site dedicated solely to music video gaming. Over the course of a decade, the team of NanaOn-Sha has brought us two PaRappa games, Um Jammer Lammy, Vib-Ribbon, Mojib-Ribbon, Tuninglue and Rhyme Rider Keroican and outside of music-based video games, the company has released numerous Tamogatchi games for the Nintendo DS, handled the audio features for the robotic AIBO pet, participated in a 2004 educational project and more. Matsuura is essentially the pioneer of music gaming as we know it today and his newest game finally hit in April as he once again teamed up with renowned artist Rodney Greenblat.

Just before the release of Major Minor's Majestic March for the Nintendo Wii, Masaya Matsuura graciously agreed to answer a short list of questions for us. While the translation process and holidays celebrated over in Japan brings us the interview a month after the game's release, we were also able to pick Matsuura's mind a little on the general status of music video gaming as well.

Bemanistyle: First off, what was it that inspired you to create NanaOn-Sha's newest title, Major Minor’s Majestic March?

Masaya Matsuura: A strong request from the publisher was the main drive behind the choice. But in any case, whenever a new technology comes out, I'm curious to give it a try.

BMS: What are your thoughts on the experience you had in developing a music game using the Nintendo Wii’s motion controls? How different was this experience for you as opposed to the button-based music titles you’ve created in the past?

MM: The difficult thing when we plan a game for Wii is any action with a Wii Remote users play has to be the same as action they actually do in their daily life otherwise it wouldn’t be realistic for the users. On the other hand, if you only focus on that issue, your creativity would be limited! I had a hard time planning this title to solving this issue.

BMS: How was your experience in working along with Rodney Greenblat on yet another title? What was it like creating an entire cast of characters from scratch in your newest title? Is there a certain inspiration behind any of the characters or themes from the game?

MM: I've occasionally worked with Rodney for 15 years since PaRappa the Rapper came out.

We had already decided that the band members would be various animals right from the start. From there we bounced various ideas around until we came up with the final cast. In particular, we tried many different animal designs for the main character, Major Minor. Whilst this is a fairly routine process in game development, it would be fair to say that it was filled with elements that were at times hard, mysterious and yet always fun.

BMS: Did you have a certain goal you were working for in the development of the title? Since many of the Wii’s games aim to have players interact with the controls and make them active, was this a main motivation for you in creating a game on the system?

MM: I think that it is very important for a player to communicate with other band members through the marching and to lead the band as a leader.

BMS: Was there ever a consideration in taking the game to another interactive interface such as the Nintendo DS (with its touch screen) or the PS3 (with its SixAxis controls)? Would you have any interest in releasing music games using such formats?

MM: I'm not sure if it could be fixed easily but I think it's possible.

BMS: Many of your titles come with the ease of use in not having to purchase peripherals. What are your thoughts on the recent batch of music games that include such controllers? Have you ever considered trying to produce a music game title which requires a special controller?

MM: Perhaps it's due to my background as a musician, but whilst the game peripheral at first feels like it's very similar to an actual guitar, for example, it's a little different for me. I really want to feel as if I'm playing the actual guitar ... of course, the game controller and the real guitar, there are very big differences between them, but if I can overcome these kinds of differences by making good software ... maybe that is what's interesting to me. I really want to make the appeal of the experience derive from playing the software. It's a very potent thing.

BMS: What does it feel like to be the person who pioneered the music gaming genre as we know it now? What are your thoughts on the fact that other companies, such as Activision and Harmonix, have taken the music game concept and are now quite successful?

MM: A long time ago, I really implored the Harmonix guys that they really should be making games. I'm pretty sure that they got similar advice from elsewhere, but looking back it was definitely the right advice. The success of Guitar Hero and Rock Band therefore fills me with pride as if they were my own creations.

BMS: Can you offer any insight on the design philosophies Eastern developers have for their music game titles versus Western developers, which seem to develop music games on the basis of appeal and social game play? Are there any bands or artists from North America that you really enjoy?

MM: I don't think that there is much system design difference between Western music games and Japanese ones so far. However, I would be happy if M4 could inspire other designers as a brand new example of music game design. On the other hand, there are different views of music to those of Western culture. We all know that rock music is familiar and close to a large group of people, and this resonates with the success of Guitar Hero and Rock Band. Rock music is popular in Japan too but it's not as widely common as it is in western culture.

As it happens, I got inspired by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band for M4.

BMS: Are you interested in working on new titles for the Parappa or Um Jammer Lammy franchises or do you feel you’ve done all there is to do in those titles?

MM: We currently do not have any specific plans to make a new one, but I cannot rule out any future possibilities.

BMS: We thank you very much for your time. Is there anything you would like to say to the many music game fans of Bemanistyle.com?

MM: Enjoy M4!

Naoki Maeda: Latin America "Is a Hopeful Market" for Konami, DDR

Back when news of this year’s brand new DanceDanceRevolution titles surfaced during July’s E3 event, Konami of America went out of its way to state it was going to feature “major licensed master Latin tracks.” While we were initially ignorant about the impact these Latin tunes would have on the final product, DanceDanceRevolution X2 released in North America on Oct. 27 and it became clear exactly how far Konami was looking to go in featuring Latin-style music in the title. Of the title’s 60 songs, nearly 17 percent of the list features Latin songs and/or artists and it seemed as if the company purposely went out of its way to reproduce Konami originals in this styling in bringing revival songs from previous entries into the mix. It’s hard to deny DanceDanceRevolution is as global as it has ever been, originating from its humble, nine Konami original songs on the original DDR arcade cabinet, evolving to later include European influence with the company’s Toshiba EMI partnership and, finally, breaking out into recognizable tunes made popular in America. While Latin-style songs are hardly nothing new to series, what attributed this focus to load almost one-fifth of DDR X2 with this music genre?

“We believed that the PS2 market in Central America is relatively large, so we decided to implement Latin/Spanish-influenced licensed and Konami original songs that might be better accepted in that region and for the residents in North America who enjoy this type of music,” stated series producer Naoki Maeda in a recent e-mail interview with Bemanistyle.com. Looking at recent events that have unfolded in 2009 between Central America and Sony, perhaps saying the previously untapped video game market in the territory is large could be an understatement.

A February announcement made by Sony Computer Entertainment America officially put the company’s consoles and services available to the territory for the first time(1). Prior to this point, residents of the area had to either swallow heavy-hitting price tags for systems and games thanks to customs taxes and import tariffs or take part in playing pirated copies of games titles. In fact, a 2008 editorial by Pascal Clarysse, who was formerly a marketing manager for Lik Sang, commented on Edge Online that a popular title such as Super Smash Bros. Brawl could cost as much as $110 U.S. at retail in Columbia – a real slap to the wallet when you take into account that Clarysse states the minimum and average wage in the country is $260-280. Because of these limitations, he states the Game Boy Advance and Playstation 2 continue to be the best-selling systems in Central America(5) and when you factor in the huge install base the PS2 has in Brazil – the largest in the territory - it becomes easier to understand SCEA’s decision to officially enter the market(2).

“The significance of the Latin America market is huge. Obviously from a population standpoint I don’t think it’s a big secret that this is a huge opportunity. We will put a number of resources in place to cater to that market,” stated Sony Computer Entertainment America’s Vice President of Sales Ian Jackson one year ago at a BMO Capital Markets Interactive Entertainment Conference. “… We’ve identified the Brazilian market as probably the biggest market opportunity for us, and that will be the third part of our launch which will take place over Spring 2009."(3)

Thanks to the official distribution of Sony product in Central America, the distribution has made the prices of official games a bit easier to swallow for the 13 countries within reach of Sony Latin America, even though the territory has some fierce competition in the form of the regional Zeebo console and pirated discs that provide games at a lower price. Regardless of where players are receiving their games, it can’t be denied that gaming is a huge hobby in Central America and the Playstation 2 is a common system, much as it is worldwide, where it has been cut to a $99.99 U.S. price tag. Konami’s efforts to market DanceDanceRevolution to this territory rolled off of Sony’s momentum in the region as X2 and Hottest Party 3 made appearances the weekend prior to the titles’ release at Latin America’s largest video game event, the eighth-annual Electronic Games Show in Mexico City, which saw more than 30,000 attendees(4). As such, Konami certainly isn’t ready to give up on the system, which still has a full year to follow Sony’s intention to give the Playstation 2 format a 10-year life cycle.

“We still look at the PS2 as a competitive platform in today's global market but the so-called next generation consoles like the PS3 and Xbox 360 have great possibility of permeating throughout the world even more,” noted Konami's Naoki Maeda. “Our goal is to foresee the needs of the market and provide titles with the hardware that best suits these needs.”

Before the attempted penetration of DDR into the Central American territory, however, local players had long been accustomed to Andamiro’s Pump It Up series, a cheaper arcade alternative that served as the go-to dancing title for this territory along with Korea. In 2005, Mastiff CEO Bill Swartz, who was at the time preparing Pump It Up Exceed for a home console release in North America, told Edge Online, “It's insanely popular in Latin America and Korea. Every year in Mexico City there are tournaments. This year's drew more than 15,000 people and they had to open the doors an hour early to avoid a riot. " Interestingly enough, the same interview has Swartz stating the release features “lots of Latin music,” showing the dancing game market has in some form catered to the territory for a number of years(6). According to Maeda, the global appeal of DanceDanceRevolution stems from the art of dance being a global language that is enjoyed by everyone across the world, however, cultural differences are what tend to bring such “market targeting” into play.

“The global appeal of DanceDanceRevolution lies in the fact that the main idea of the game is ‘dancing,’ which is a method used to express oneself that can be seen throughout the world,” he explained. “However, there are several different types of dancing which can come from elements such as the characteristics of a country or what they deem beautiful. We believe that holds great importance in that the recorded music fitting the dance type of a specific region is essential.”

Of course, targeting the Latin music market isn’t an unfamiliar endeavor, with Konami of Japan releasing Mambo a Go Go (which, unfortunately, missed the U.S. market with an intended, but cancelled, release under the name Mambo King) and SEGA developing Samba de Amigo during the Latin pop craze that hit at the turn of the century. Even though neither title had a huge impact, if any, on North America, Maeda noted Konami hasn’t given up on the theme as long as its games are openly available to the region.

“Yes, depending on the location of where we release our titles and the characteristics of the people in the country, we would like to provide content that is geared more toward that region,” he stated. “Music in Southern America has its own characteristics with a very unique history and developing games with these themes are in one of our best interests.”

Will the adjusted focus help Konami and its DanceDanceRevolution series in the long run? Only time will tell in the long run, but, currently, the company is keeping a positive focus on the market for now.

“Our view of Central America is that there are several unknown elements in the market, but features such as their national trait where they look at things objectively and with the way ‘dancing’ is positioned in their lifestyle, we believe that it is a very hopeful market,” concluded Maeda.

[1] Official SCEA Press Release, “Sony Computer Entertainment America Expands into Latin America” - GameSpy
[2] Theo Azevedo, “Produção do PlayStation 2 e jogos no Brasil é aprovada” – UOL Jogos
[3] Staff, “SCEA: Latin America is a Huge Opportunity for PS2” – Playstation Universe
[4] Official Michael Meyers Public Relations press release – “Eighth-Annual Electronic Game Show Draws 30,000” – (received internally by Bemanistyle.com)
[5] Pascal Clarysse, “Gaming in Latin America” – Edge Online
[6] Staff, “Pump it Up” – Edge Online