Articles
GameGuy: The
“I Told You So” Edition
By Mark H. Walker
My three regular readers
will remember that last year I predicted Sony would win the console
wars. At that time the Xbox was just a potential hole in gamers’ wallets,
and we were all making predictions. Some people compared the system
specifications of the big three (GameCube, PlayStation 2, and Xbox),
some people compared the price, and some people compared the financial
resources. What they forgot to compare were the games. I predicted
that only the PlayStation Deuce would have them in sufficient quantity
to win the war. You know what? I’m right.
Oh, the battle isn’t over
yet, but it doesn’t look good for Sony’s competitors. Recent data
shows that Sony’s consoles have 57% of the market share. Their nearest
competitor is Nintendo with 21%. Microsoft trails with 9%. Even more
damning are the software sales figures. In statistics compiled by
the Video Dealers Software Association for the month of March, PlayStation
2 titles claimed nine of the top ten spots. The GameCube’s Agent
Under Fire was the sole interloper. Microsoft claims they’ll turn
a profit by 2004. I think they’ll be history.
No
Accounting for Taste
That same software list that aptly shows Sony’s dominance brings other
damning news. Second on the scroll of March’s most popular games is
Rockstar’s State of Emergency. I though that the XFL finally
proved that you *CAN* underestimate the consumer’s intelligence. I
guess State of Emergency proves me wrong. Picture this: A country
shocked by a catastrophic terrorist attack, a country mourning its
lost innocents, a game company making bags of money with a game that
promotes terrorism. Is there something wrong with that picture?
Tight Takes
Heroes of Might and Magic IV is a semi-radical departure from the
series. For openers, the game has gone 3-D. The switch is most noticeable
in the battle screen. Gone are the cardboard cutout figures and side-scrolling
view of Heroes of Might and Magic days gone by. In their place
are wonderfully animated, miniature-quality figures. It’s not as pretty
as Etherlords, but it’s a step in the right direction.
Also radical is the hero’s
presence on the battlefield. We’ve been used to heroes lagging behind,
casting their spells from the back of a horse. Now they’ll wade into
the fray, slinging fire bolts, and swinging swords with the best of
them. Not nice is the game’s aversion to video cards. It’s finicky
at best, downright un-playable at worst.
Finicky video car compatibility
aside, Heroes of Might and Magic IV looks to be a winner. It’s
high time that the game went 3-D and plopping the heroes on the battlefield
provides a sense of urgency not felt in the previous editions. I’ll
know more after I’ve logged some hours at the screen, but at first
glance this looks to be the series’ best.
Hey, maybe they’ll do another
PlayStation 2 port. You know, they won’t risk betting on Microsoft’s
losing horse.
© Mark H. Walker,
LLC 2001
Mark H. Walker is a veteran interactive entertainment
journalist who has written over 40 books including his recently released
Medal of Honor and Wizardry 8 strategy guides.
