The
Game Guy

Volume #8
By Mark H. Walker

The
Writing is on the Wall

No doubt many are girding
their gaming loins for the alleged console wars; passionately debating
the ultimate winner, be it Microsoft, Sony, or Nintendo. Not me, folks.
The war is already won. Yeah, will see some hot skirmishes, and the
fighting will keep software prices down, but the victor isn’t debatable.
By 2003 Sony will be the last console giant standing.

The X-box will have some
strong titles, but will lack the breadth and depth of Sony’s offerings.
Their effort will be crippled by poor publishing choices, which in
turn can be linked to a lack of industry experience.

On the other hand, Nintendo
knows how to crank out the hits, but not the volume. The Perfect
Darks of the world have proven that Nintendo knows how to publish
a winner, but history shows that Sony out-publishes Nintendo by four
games to one. You don’t win console wars like that.

Don’t believe in Sony’s
dominance? Chew on these tidbits:

• According to PlayDate
  2001, twenty-five United States retail chains were polled on potential
  Christmas sales. They said PlayStation 2 would be the best selling
  system, and Metal Gear Solid 2 the best game. That’s from
  the folks who put the stuff on the shelves.
• Cahner’s In-Stat Group
  reports that PlayStation 2 and PlayStation were the top selling
  consoles for 2000. No surprise there. What is surprising is that
  despite the X-Box and GameCube’s launch, In-Stat predicts that Sony
  will repeat the feat in 2001. That’s impressive.

Be
Wary of Journalists Bearing Praise

Once again, it’s that
time of year. Most sites and magazines will soon publish their holiday
season shopping guides, and within a couple more months their “best
of the year” lists. No one wants to blow their hard-earned gaming
dollar on a dog, so the lists are a welcome, but be wary of journalists
bearing praise. We could be, and in fact often are, wrong.

Face it; even the most
dedicated gaming journalist can’t play every game, or even every game
within his or her particular genre of expertise. Hence, writers rely
not only on personal experience, but reviews read, discussions with
other journalists, and overall gaming buzz. There’s nothing evil about
the approach. It normally yields a shopping or “best of”
list that includes the industry’s notable games. Unfortunately we
can also miss obscure titles that are every bit as good as, but less
well promoted than, a publisher’s front-line products. So take our
lists with a grain of salt. Better still, ask your friends what they’re
playing, download a couple of demos, and talk to the kid behind the
counter at EBWorld. In other words, make up your own mind.

Tight Takes

Operation Flashpoint.
Okay, I’m a bit behind the rest of the gaming world on this one. For
a few months gamers have declared Flashpoint the cure to all
that ails you. And you know what? They may just be right. To borrow
an ancient phrase, the game is simple to learn, but difficult to master.

For those of you waking
from a long slumber, Operation Flashpoint is a squad-based
tactical shooter based in a fictional, 1985 war between the United
States and the Soviet Union. The game throws the player into the shoes
of a gun-toting private, squad-leading sergeant, tank commander or
chopper pilot. The graphics are lush, and the battles are realistic,
creative, and intense.

But what Flashpoint
does the best is throw you into a new world. You are not the focus
of each battle. The fighting swells without you, tanks explode, squadmates
die, and friendly forces capture objectives. Meanwhile you desperately
hunt for your squad leader, try to keep up with your buddies, and
take pot shots at the distant enemy. It’s like living the best chapters
of a Harold Coyle military adventure. This is war –crazy, unpredictable,
and frightening-and Flashpoint portrays it brilliantly. If
this isn’t game of the year material, I don’t know what is.

Then again, you should
be careful of journalists bearing praise.

© Mark H. Walker,
LLC 2001
Mark H. Walker is a veteran interactive entertainment
journalist who has written over 40 books including his recently released
Video Games Almanac and The Parent’s Guide to PlayStation
Games.