Mowed7: Nintendo Says WHEE!!!

Indeed, it is time for much jubilation and to rejoice. Nintendo has officially declared what the name their next-generation console will assume, in lieu of the heretofore used codename 'Revolution'. And that name, dear readers, is 'Wii'. Wii, as in 'What the hell were Wii thinking naming a freaking console this?!" Yes, now when you receive a positive answer from a French-speaking person, giving you the affirmative response of "Oui", you can inquire as to why said language of love linguist has brought a gaming console into the conversation.

I believe this new moniker will engender a prodigious joke series with the new Nintendo console landing squarely on the butt end (I mean, literally the second I saw the new name, I was already mulling over jokes I could throw into this article). While the characters 'ii' stand for "good" in Japanese, the multiple English interpretations of the name 'Wii' facilitate limitless comical possibilities. This name might very well undermine North American sales for the new system, as gamers might be rather inclined to abstain from purchasing a console with what they perceive to be a "cute" or otherwise "silly" name. This would certainly not be the first instance of a foreign brand name or slogan marketing snafu.

Mowed 7: It's Kind of Like Christmas Morning

Acquiring a new video game has always been a true delight for me, at all points in my life. Oftentimes, the imminent release of a game I have been waiting for is preceded by an excessive amount of hype (much of it self-engendered). Finally having the ability to rend the plastic wrap with extreme truculence, and fire up a new adventure is a prospect that evokes a sentiment not unlike that of a young child on Christmas morning (which coincides with a number of my acquisitions). In fact, high profile game releases garner more import for me than most holidays (Rogue Galaxy and Dirge of Cerberus, here I come!), and this ostensible excitement is a product of how games came into my possession as a child.

Sequels: If it Ain't Broke...Fix it?

Creating sequels for successful game franchises is not unlike how the process is realized in the movie industry: consumers (understandably) demand something new to assail their senses, otherwise they would be paying to see the same rehashed onscreen antics they've already paid good money for (though admittedly, some movies seem to make this work...). In the gaming sphere, there are a number of qualities which are indicative of the prosperous continuation of a series, and ideally, all of these should strive to build upon the success of a game's predecessors.

Naturally, many sequels get their start because the original game was well received and sold a plethora of units. It stands to reason that the source material contained features appealing to the masses, either in the form of digit-blistering (Nintendo thumb, anybody?) gameplay, a riveting and compelling narrative, or some hybrid of the two elements. Whatever the reason, development teams make the decision that "Hey, people seemed to like this pretty well, let's do another!", and hence, further cash in on the ideas they have created. However, while the first go-around proved to be a winning formula, in order for people to even bat an eyelash at additional installments, something must be done to enhance the gameplay experience. This does not include entirely new components, but rather, features an augmentation of the existing gameplay experience. This might include different camera angles from the original game, or perhaps an altered method of inventory upkeep.

Talkin' 'Bout My Generation

In the words of the immortal bards comprising The Who, I am indeed talking about my generation, and specifically how it pertains to the console gaming market. It is interesting to note the steady vicissitudes of consoles, and how gaming trends and technology have incessantly catered to an aging target demographic, whose chief constituents are persons just like me.

When the original Nintendo Entertainment System was released in the United States in 1986, and was able to successfully negotiate economically unstable times (particularly for the home console market) to establish itself as the mainstream frontrunner, much gaming at this time was geared towards young children (myself being the tender age of 6, and resting comfortably in that portion of the social dichotomy, found this development to be quite agreeable).

Current Generation Consoles Not Down and Out Yet

With the release of the next generation consoles imminent (and already partially complete), many gamers may have taken their thumbs off the pulse of current generation games to concentrate on next-gen buzz. However, this may be a bit premature, as taking a second to put your ear to the ground will reveal a looming thundering, signaling some high-profile, current-gen releases that are slated for release soon. Developers and console manufacturers are still devoted to producing quality titles, and so rushing out to grab an Xbox 360 or a PS3 might not be immediately pressing.

From the studios of Level 5 (the same cadre of developers that brought us the Dark Cloud games), comes a new PS2 RPG offering titled Rogue Galaxy. This game has just recently been released in Japan to critical acclaim, and looks to ship to our fair shores sometime next year. Hope you can appreciate the opera, because the word on this game reeks of nothing but epic, engaging space opera of the highest order.