Sounds like a pretty sweet prize, I just hope that whoever wins this thing will actually go out and do some actual snorkeling between bouts of Endless Ocean. Otherwise it would just be kind of sad.

It seems to me that hardcore gamers are well aware of the futility of the games that they play. But they want the game's design to continuously distract them from this fact. It is the purest form of escapism: a game that absorbs you completely and doesn't allow your brain any time to reflect on what you're doing. Eurogamer literally complains about the fact that the designers of Endless Ocean are too gentle in this respect.

But what if you like being treated gently? What if you don't hate your life and you don't want to be knocked unconscious by your entertainment? What if you just want to relax in front of the television set, doing not much of anything, spending some time with your family, experiencing a story or looking at pretty moving pictures?

Does a game review prevent someone from enjoying a game? Does the fact that the New York Times film critics routinely pan huge summer blockbusters stop hordes of the movie going public from enjoying them? If you want to sit around with your family watching pretty pictures flit across the screen, there was this amazing technology of moving pictures invented in the 19th century. If you want to gently shake your Wiimote around while watching movie pictures, play Endless Ocean and ignore what Eurogamer has to say. I, too, enjoy a relaxing gaming experience - Harvest Moon is one of my beloved games for just chilling out - but to whine about the review structure for being focused on things like game play and design mechanics seems a little silly.

Clearly not all games are going to appeal to all people, and not all forms of the gaming press is going to be appropriate for everyone's needs; but there are plenty of sites catering to the more casual market, and even reviews of other types of media in more generalist publications tends to be more 'hardcore' than what the average audience member is after (how many panned-by-the-critics movies have gone on to be giant blockbusters? The answer: a lot).

Hardcore reviews of softcore games [Tale of Tales]

No More Heroes (WII)
Suda 51's surreal cel shaded adventures of Travis Touchdown.

Advance Wars: Days of Ruin (DS)
The follow up to the wildly popular Advance Wars hits with a new storyline and wi-fi.

Pirates of the Burning Sea (PC)
Arrrgh! Live the life of a pirate on land and sea in this new MMO.

Burnout Paradise (PS3, X360)
Drive, crash and burn!

Endless Ocean (WII)
Explore the mysterious world under the sea.

Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games (DS)
Pit Mario against Sonic on your DS.

One Piece: Unlimited Adventure (WII)
Search for booty with Capt. Monkey.

Iridium Runners (PS2)
It's a space race!

Rainbow Islands Evolution (PSP)
Bub and Bob are back again in a new old adventure again.

If you haven't quite wrapped your noodle around what Arika's Forever Blue for the Wii is yet, this extended gameplay clip might shed some light. As you can see, it's all in Japanese, as the Western version (Endless Ocean) won't be released for months. Despite it's high Famitsu rating, I have a hard time believing this is going to be a purchase for me personally.

The game is due to hit North America later this year as Endless Ocean. While I consider it a safe bet that broader American audiences will pay little attention to it, if Japan puts stock in Famitsu reviews, I think my prediction that the game will natively sell "trillions" is looking more and more likely.

This Week's Japanese Magazines News [NeoGAF]

The very definition of non-game, Endless Ocean—also known as Forever Blue in Japan—will immerse Wii owners in a world of fish, undersea mammals, and saltwater. Similar to Arika's previous undersea adventures, the Everblue series, you'll experience relaxing SCUBA-filled gameplay as you look for treasure, take photos and frantically rub dolphins. There's also an intense deathmatch mode involving a speargun and a bazooka that launches carnivorous fish. Alright, I made that last part up.

This clip shows the three commercials currently running in Japan for the Wii release—no deathmatch footage. I'm sure it will sell trillions.