FF1: make a party of 4 from 6 available classes
FF2: the more you use a weapon/spell, the stronger it gets
FF3: bare bones job system, affects stats upon level up
FF4: each character has unique abilities; party members join and leave as the game progresses
FF5: job system with subjob abilities
FF6: same as FF4 but all characters can be customized through what magic spells each character learns and stat bonuses at level up from equipped summon

Is it any surprise that Nintendo is wary about ramping up production in an uncertain economy?

This dashboard update sounds suspicious to me. There is no way Microsoft would reduce their current ad revenue. The new interface probably has some insidious new way to shove more ads down the throats of Xbox Live users.

Denying the progress Korea has made to break into western markets is a futile effort. Korean companies are here to stay whether you like it or not. Other than Blizzard, western game companies have failed to gain any significant ground in any markets outside of the west.

Wartime scenarios tend to heighten this tension by forcing males into forging close emotional ties. This is problematic since many guys are hardwired to equate emotions with sexuality.

Elite Beat Agents is a fun game but most people don't choose to unwind by listening to YMCA. The gameplay immersive enough to override any music elitism people may have.

The Tales games have traditionally stuck with anime cutscenes so it was a surprise that completely CG cutscenes are being use here. I find it clashes with the character art which will probably be used for the status screen and and dialog.

Unfortunately, prioritizing technology isn't a healthy approach late in the life of a console. Squeeze an orange as much as you want, but there is a limit to how much juice you can extract. Games that are successful late in the lifecycle of a console must rely on fresh ideas that are carefully executed.

There is a lot of wishful thinking from Anders Tychsen. The biggest strength of tabletop RPGs isn't the mechanics but the experience of playing with other people. The stories are memorable because there is a person running the tabletop game, tailoring it to the needs of the players. Computers have to follow strict guidelines while humans can break rules at their discretion.

Very little about what makes tabletop RPGs fun deals with game mechanics and customization. These elements are just there to inspire creativity. The unpredictable social interactions between players are much more important.

Many wax nostalgic about the political drama of the first FFT. The problem is that 90% of all SRPGs follow suit. Without the story, FFT wouldn't have aged so gracefully.

A good team of engineers and industrial designers is also necessary. Microsoft placed most of the focus on technology with the 360. Not enough work was done to address concerns about form factor, operating noise, and other annoyances that industrial designers would tackle.

This trend will eventually happen to videogames as well. Most big budget titles will be aimed towards the mainstream. Niche titles that appeal to hardcore gamers will be made using smaller budgets but not suffer from the creative restraints of appealing to the mass market.

Games that follow established genre conventions are easily forgotten. Videogames are still an entertainment medium where the audience wants to be surprised. You can only do that with new and exciting concepts.

Virtual worlds are the new plague to hit the internet and I place sole responsibility on Second Life. Second Life was overhyped to the point that stupid executives were fooled into thinking that making their own branded virtual worlds would lead to bathtubs full of money to bathe in.

Text communication in MMOs is very important because you will be getting messages from your friends, your guild, private messages, and people in your general area. Very often it happen at the same time. This is very different than a game like Team Fortress 2 where you are only talking to people in the match.

There are many people in MMOs with the ability to use voice chat but prefer not to.

The high profit margin occurs because these games are designed to cut out goldfarmers and other shady companies out of the equation. Thus, players that typically use these services now pay the the game company itself for conveniences like extra gold without the threat of banning. Traditional subscription based games tend to demonize these players and as a result miss out on a lot of income.

Sarcasm and subtley don't translate very well on the internet unless you have pages of text to set it up.

Most people don't like to exercise because it feels like work. That is why people call exercising these days "working out". Wii Fit tries to make exercise fun without trying to make absurd promises about health benefits.

Running outside is free but most people don't find it fun.

Polo is a team sport where people ride horses on a field and hit a ball using long-handled mallets into a goal. Water polo is a team sport that takes place in a swimming pool where players score goals by throwing a ball into a goal.

I wonder if the Poopsmith will make an appearance in the first episode.

I do have a problem with applying a western viewpoint to explain his motivations. We shouldn't forget that he is still a Japanese developer with distinctly Japanese sensibilities. It is a very slippery slope to assume that Kojima is criticizing the glut of violent FPS games set against the backdrop of war. Are gamers in the West trying to shoehorn their own opinions into MGS4? We can't really be sure since this is a common criticism of held by gamers in the West. Separating your own personal opinions from that of a creator is difficult.

The Disgaea games tend to be a mix of love it or hate it elements. It is hard to stay neutral about the series.