Ok, so i did my Game Room at one year post focusing mainly on sales estimates and leaderboards. In this post i will name some of the features that do not seem well utilized to me.
The Good:
1) Dynamic Leaderboards (wish they were more precise)
2) Classic Mode - This is what i always wanted from the retro XBLA games - infinite lives/credits, can change "machine settings" and rewind. This is also a nice feature for the Atari 2600 games, as you get access to some of the other "modes" on the cartridge. Unfortunately, Game Room is about the medals and Classic Mode only counts for Time Spender.
3) The Medal System - this was one of my favorite ideas (though the implementation maybe should be tweaked, like allowing 2 medal games). It is nice (though expensive) how the achievements were based off of the medal system (much better than individual achievements). You would get 5 points for a gold, 3 for a silver and 2 for a bronze. Leveling would unlock decor and themes (good idea initially). Unfortunately, there is a level cap at 50 (wish it was infinite levels at every 20 points).
4) Challenges - this is another feature that separates Game Room from XBLA. You could challenge your "friends", i think up to 10 at once, to challenges in particular games. So, in a way, you could do bulk challenges (and several challenges at once). Even lowly XBL Silver members like me could do these challenges.
The Questionable:
1) Arcade interface - this was actually one of the sales point behind Game Room in the beginning. However, this may have caused stability problems with the program. There were not enough rooms or as many themes as i would have liked. The green and red flags were kind of cool for a while (denoting whether or not you had top score on your friends list). Unfortunately, you were also limited to 96 spots for games/decor. i would prefer that they just scratched virtual arcade interface and adopt the rumored Windows Phone 7 version interface.
2) Leaderboard Replays - originally, they would show replays of the top 20 scores. This was a cool concept, but is it really necessary. Watching these replays gives you a pretty good idea of how the game plays out (though not the feel) and some strategy suggestions. However, 20 replays is overkill (maybe 5 at the most, if any). Furthermore, these replays would occasionally become messed up
3) Pay for Play - on paper this may sound like a good idea. In some ways it was a nice concept and fits within the arcade concept. On the other hand, 6 plays was the price of one game.
4) Tokens - this will tie into point 5... You were given 20 tokens at the start and then got one for friends visiting your arcade. However, the only thing you could do with tokens was to play demos of games - you couldn't earn medals, trade them in for prizes or anything else
5) Visiting Arcades and Showcase Arcade - i didn't have that many Game Room friends, but i fail to see the point in this one. You could see what games they had, and play/buy games from them - but that was about it. The Showcase Arcade was essentially an arcade (not well updated) where you could try out/buy games from. Much like friends' arcades, it was kind of pointless (especially as you could play demos from the store section, after you downloaded the packs)
6) The Achievements - This may have been Game Room's downfall. Game Room seemed to get less publicity after initial complaints about the achievements. Game Room has probably the most expensive 1,000 points of any game (as you essentially have to buy 20 games minimum to get 1,000 - you would actually need to pay somewhat more than that, actually). i liked the achievements (and how they weren't tied to specific games), but i was going to get a lot of games anyway.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Friday, March 25, 2011
Game Room: What's With My Game Room Stats "Obsession"
So, if you read any of my Game Room posts you might wonder why i do so many posts on sales estimates and the like. The simple answer is that for some reason Game Room brings out that side in me. Maybe it is that it is a reminder of a simpler time where possibility still existed.
The long answer goes back to my days in college. i have a degree in Business Administration (Finance) and Economics (Managerial Economics). What i really would have liked to do after college to be a corporate financial analyst (working mainly with cost of capital type stuff). For some reason, things like NPV, WACC, IRR, time value of money, etc. seemed to click for me (seemed easy to understand), however i was working with simplified scenarios and theory mostly - because that is mostly what college is.
When Game Room added leaderboards i took more of an interest in the results and behind the scenes type stuff. This started with my posts on the official Game Room forum with my post series The Business of Game Room (which i re-posted here). In that series i was trying to look at Game Room like a business analyst (arguably not my best class in college). i was trying to figure out how it might operate (using different aspects). Eventually, that evolved into stat tracking/recording. i have always been interested in playing around and interpreting stats (though i can't stand hypothesis testing), however, i am more than a little out of practice. Sometimes partial concepts pop into my head though.
Then i turned it into a sales estimate quest. What i decided to use were simplistic methods (at least in my mind). i started by estimating that real sales were 75% of leaderboard data - mostly because i was thinking in terms of multiple accounts on one console and the pay for one play option. After looking on a sight that estimated XBLA games and seeing that they estimated that something like 90% of leaderboards were sales to individual accounts i changed my assumptions. i now use a conservative point estimate of 87.5%. That breaks down to an estimate that 85% of leaderboard entries are unique purchasers and 2.5% added because of the way the leaderboards are set up (essentially that real leaderboard figures are 2.5% higher than the plateau level shown). i am seriously considering increasing my point estimate to 90%.
Of course i wasn't content to let thing stand at those conclusions, so i added another wrinkle. That wrinkle was irr. irr is actually my attempt to estimate what the leaderboard numbers are (putting aside the 2.5% estimate) based off of the average leaderboard position divided by the number of weeks a game has been on the service. After that i kind of messed up offshoot of NPV and use a multiplier to create weekly estimates, which i then sum. The first numerical entry in my list of weeks will be the first week's observed leaderboard information. i messed up the timing on data collection (should have been Tuesdays instead of Thursdays/Fridays), so i can't get a handle off of second week declines and things like that.
Maybe i will come up with a totally convoluted metric in the future. i am actually interested in how much i should discount sales in subsequent weeks - but i'm not sure where to start with that (as i don't have the data points i would like).
The long answer goes back to my days in college. i have a degree in Business Administration (Finance) and Economics (Managerial Economics). What i really would have liked to do after college to be a corporate financial analyst (working mainly with cost of capital type stuff). For some reason, things like NPV, WACC, IRR, time value of money, etc. seemed to click for me (seemed easy to understand), however i was working with simplified scenarios and theory mostly - because that is mostly what college is.
When Game Room added leaderboards i took more of an interest in the results and behind the scenes type stuff. This started with my posts on the official Game Room forum with my post series The Business of Game Room (which i re-posted here). In that series i was trying to look at Game Room like a business analyst (arguably not my best class in college). i was trying to figure out how it might operate (using different aspects). Eventually, that evolved into stat tracking/recording. i have always been interested in playing around and interpreting stats (though i can't stand hypothesis testing), however, i am more than a little out of practice. Sometimes partial concepts pop into my head though.
Then i turned it into a sales estimate quest. What i decided to use were simplistic methods (at least in my mind). i started by estimating that real sales were 75% of leaderboard data - mostly because i was thinking in terms of multiple accounts on one console and the pay for one play option. After looking on a sight that estimated XBLA games and seeing that they estimated that something like 90% of leaderboards were sales to individual accounts i changed my assumptions. i now use a conservative point estimate of 87.5%. That breaks down to an estimate that 85% of leaderboard entries are unique purchasers and 2.5% added because of the way the leaderboards are set up (essentially that real leaderboard figures are 2.5% higher than the plateau level shown). i am seriously considering increasing my point estimate to 90%.
Of course i wasn't content to let thing stand at those conclusions, so i added another wrinkle. That wrinkle was irr. irr is actually my attempt to estimate what the leaderboard numbers are (putting aside the 2.5% estimate) based off of the average leaderboard position divided by the number of weeks a game has been on the service. After that i kind of messed up offshoot of NPV and use a multiplier to create weekly estimates, which i then sum. The first numerical entry in my list of weeks will be the first week's observed leaderboard information. i messed up the timing on data collection (should have been Tuesdays instead of Thursdays/Fridays), so i can't get a handle off of second week declines and things like that.
Maybe i will come up with a totally convoluted metric in the future. i am actually interested in how much i should discount sales in subsequent weeks - but i'm not sure where to start with that (as i don't have the data points i would like).
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Game Room At One Year: Post Spectacular
Overview:
Game Room was released on an ususpecting public on March 24, 2010 on both the Xbox 360 and Games for Windows Live (PC) platforms. Game Room had a tumultuous year with a strong start, then a month delay in the weekly content releases. Things seemed to stabilize for several game packs until the developer, Krome, ran into some issues and decided to undergo downsizing and restructuring. After the last two or three packs were hastily released in late December, there has been an air of doubt about Game Room's future. Game Room is slated to launch for Windows Phone 7 in the immediate future with 5 games, but the launch date has yet to be confirmed.
i decided to post this a day early, since i have already done my Tuesday leaderboard check (only one game, Dodge 'em had an observable increase this week - the least ever. New content would be awesome).
Releases:
Game Room releases were accomplished through game packs that had embedded time codes to unlock the next week's content. The game launched with game pack 001 and 002 on March, 24, 2010 which both contained 15 games (for a total of 30 games). These games were released on Wednesdays. In all, 13 game packs were released to date. There were 188 games released in total (with a mystery game, Sunset Riders in the description but not yet released). Of these titles, 108 of them were ranked (3 medals) the other 80 games were time spender only games.
Sales:
Apparently, i am interested in approximating Game Room sales. i have been taking note of available data since Game Room dynamic leaderboards were instituted in late August. The quality of the data is somewhat subject as there are periods of incomplete data and misaligned data gathering dates (i am missing a week from when my Xbox 360 S was sent in for repair). i only have access to the data that the leaderboards provide: ranked games only and a plateau leaderboard system (which "hides" sales).
The success of Game Room depends on your expectations. i expected a $2.5-4.5 million dollar budget spread over three years (with much of the expense occurring before launch). i think (and i'm probably wrong) that Game Room would need to achieve annual sales of between $1-1.5 million dollars to be considered a success. That number would probably be lower if you factor out the time zero (sunk) cost.
i don't know if i can embed charts here, but here is what i would like to show... ranked game sales by: publisher, arcade/console, game pack and maybe a bar chart of weekly observable leaderboard increases. Sorry, this is not exactly formatted how i would like. Game Room Sales Distribution chart is based off of leaderboard level, the other charts are based off of estimated sales of ranked games only. i might restate the link to my Office online spreadsheet too, so you can get an idea of individual sales estimates (and maybe a bonus irr method estimates).
https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AmQylLb0REoBdFJzSnNJeThVMHJocU0tMlNiVHU3dHc&hl=en
Legal-ish:
i am not in any way affiliated with MSFT, Krome or Game Room - other than purchasing all 108 ranked games and playing numerous hours. i am just doing this for "fun". All of my estimates should not be taken as actual numbers, they are just my best "educated guesses", use them at your own peril. Any trademarks, logos, service marks, etc are owned by the respective rights holders.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Lips (Xbox 360): A Retrospective, sort of
In 2008, Lips was announced at E3 with a performance of "Mercy" by singer Duffy. The game would be released in North America on November 18, 2008 to mixed (yet average) reviews. In October, 2009 the first of three add-ons, Number One Hits was released (not counting any regional discs). Number One Hits changed the scoring engine and added avatar support (gestures) along with dynamic leaderboards. It also added combos to the scoring system and insanely long start-up times. In 2010, Party Classics was released - though it was difficult to find at retail. It added cups to the game. Cups are based off of leaderboard position (i do not currently have any crystal positions, but i am in the top 10 for a couple of DLC songs). In retrospect, this was probably the first clear sign that the series was in trouble. After Party Classics was released, there was a third add-on disc, Lips I Love the 80s, but only in Europe. No new DLC has been released for Lips (in the US) since February 18, 2011. The Lips Facebook page has not been updated since August 2010 (and their decent external site vanished before that).
So to sum it up... Lips had the core game and three add-ons that i acknowledge. Did it have any DLC? It may surprise you to learn that 379 songs are currently available download in North America. So, Lips has (or had) about 499 total songs in the series available in North America. Lips 80s (as i call it) was not released in the North American market, but all of the songs were released as DLC (i imported the 80s version from the UK).
Rumors of a Kinect enabled sequel surfaced when it was revealed that Microsoft purchased/registered the domain name KinectLips.com. So, now i am waiting in anticipation for E3 to see if the series will get the sequel it deserves. There really aren't that many games that appeal to me that i have seen slated for relase this year. After all, it is my most played Xbox 360 game by far.
2 years and 4 months (actually probably 3) is kind of a long time for a game to go without a sequel. At this point, i think it is either Kinect sequel or the series being done. If the series was done, why register the domain though? i leaning towards a 65-70% chance of a sequel, especially since Kinect primarily targets the more "casual" audience. If there is a sequel, i would guess work started mid/late 2010. i would expect it to launch in October or November.
Now that the history lesson is done, here are my experiences with the game... i played it a lot, i liked it, i wish there would have been more awesome 80s pop.
To prove that i have actually played it, i offer up some disturbing pictures. Yes, i have 2 accounts and these are both me. The numbers in the first picture may seem off, but that is because of the way the stats from the first Lips carried over (i probably have more plays than this - i know there were at least 5,300). i definitely have more challenge wins overall.
i hope they release a Lips Kinect enabled version (with drastically reduced start-up times). i know that the music game genre is in decline (or at least a slump) and profitability is fading. i know i have a wishlist post on this blog somewhere. Lips does have a lot of decent/good songs. Unfortunately, they do not have enough (in my opinion). i would prefer that the next game/sequel (if it exists) will have upwards of 1,000 songs. Oh yeah, can i get some Breathe songs - please.
So to sum it up... Lips had the core game and three add-ons that i acknowledge. Did it have any DLC? It may surprise you to learn that 379 songs are currently available download in North America. So, Lips has (or had) about 499 total songs in the series available in North America. Lips 80s (as i call it) was not released in the North American market, but all of the songs were released as DLC (i imported the 80s version from the UK).
Rumors of a Kinect enabled sequel surfaced when it was revealed that Microsoft purchased/registered the domain name KinectLips.com. So, now i am waiting in anticipation for E3 to see if the series will get the sequel it deserves. There really aren't that many games that appeal to me that i have seen slated for relase this year. After all, it is my most played Xbox 360 game by far.
2 years and 4 months (actually probably 3) is kind of a long time for a game to go without a sequel. At this point, i think it is either Kinect sequel or the series being done. If the series was done, why register the domain though? i leaning towards a 65-70% chance of a sequel, especially since Kinect primarily targets the more "casual" audience. If there is a sequel, i would guess work started mid/late 2010. i would expect it to launch in October or November.
Now that the history lesson is done, here are my experiences with the game... i played it a lot, i liked it, i wish there would have been more awesome 80s pop.
To prove that i have actually played it, i offer up some disturbing pictures. Yes, i have 2 accounts and these are both me. The numbers in the first picture may seem off, but that is because of the way the stats from the first Lips carried over (i probably have more plays than this - i know there were at least 5,300). i definitely have more challenge wins overall.
i hope they release a Lips Kinect enabled version (with drastically reduced start-up times). i know that the music game genre is in decline (or at least a slump) and profitability is fading. i know i have a wishlist post on this blog somewhere. Lips does have a lot of decent/good songs. Unfortunately, they do not have enough (in my opinion). i would prefer that the next game/sequel (if it exists) will have upwards of 1,000 songs. Oh yeah, can i get some Breathe songs - please.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Music Game Strategy: My Twisted and Bad Idea(s)
i am writing this later than 3:30 AM, take for it what you will
i was thinking about the video game market and noticing how the music game segment seems to be in decline or flagging. i was wondering if it could be reversed. i also was wondering about what kind of business plan i would like to see. i do not know current operating margins and the like or all of the hoops companies have to jump through to license a game. Anyway, here is what i came up with (i'm sure others have similar ideas) for my super mega awesome karaoke style game (Lips Infinity) ....
* "label" refers to who the songs must be licensed from, wheter that is the songwriter/artist/record label, etc
1) Music game as a digital download only - works much better as a first party option. The core music game would be downloadable for free or $5.00 maximum with no songs. i don't know if they could do this without a cloud component. Use existing microphones, etc.
2) Initial batch of songs released as launch DLC 100-120 games at $1.00 each (depends if all 4 big music players are on board/ 30-34 from each label). If less labels on-board adjust accordingly.
3) DLC songs priced at $2.00 each with the label taking half of the proceeds. Slightly discounted packs allowed, price depending on number of songs in pack. Can take up to $.50 off per additional song
- Release the equivalent of 7 songs a week from each label for approximately 2.75 years
3) License 1,000 songs per label (including 30-34 in initial launch)
- Guaranteed revenue at the end of year three of at least a minimum specified amount (works better if it is the actual record label). Actually, maybe make the label do that grunt work if you can (and offer them low 7 figures).
4) Profit?
i was thinking about the video game market and noticing how the music game segment seems to be in decline or flagging. i was wondering if it could be reversed. i also was wondering about what kind of business plan i would like to see. i do not know current operating margins and the like or all of the hoops companies have to jump through to license a game. Anyway, here is what i came up with (i'm sure others have similar ideas) for my super mega awesome karaoke style game (Lips Infinity) ....
* "label" refers to who the songs must be licensed from, wheter that is the songwriter/artist/record label, etc
1) Music game as a digital download only - works much better as a first party option. The core music game would be downloadable for free or $5.00 maximum with no songs. i don't know if they could do this without a cloud component. Use existing microphones, etc.
2) Initial batch of songs released as launch DLC 100-120 games at $1.00 each (depends if all 4 big music players are on board/ 30-34 from each label). If less labels on-board adjust accordingly.
3) DLC songs priced at $2.00 each with the label taking half of the proceeds. Slightly discounted packs allowed, price depending on number of songs in pack. Can take up to $.50 off per additional song
- Release the equivalent of 7 songs a week from each label for approximately 2.75 years
3) License 1,000 songs per label (including 30-34 in initial launch)
- Guaranteed revenue at the end of year three of at least a minimum specified amount (works better if it is the actual record label). Actually, maybe make the label do that grunt work if you can (and offer them low 7 figures).
4) Profit?
Saturday, March 5, 2011
PC Gaming: Why i don't get it
i visited Neogaf a couple days ago (you know to lurk, and read a few threads that seemed interesting). One post in particular caught, my eye. It was something about MSFT not releasing Alan Wake on the PC. Maybe i'll eventually have a Dview on Alan Wake in the future (great concept, a little murky execution).
The PC gamer defense force was out in force. They were talking about how PCs have better graphics and the like (and how the best gaming is done on the PC side). That is not a persuasive point for me - as quite frankly, my eyes aren't that great. Also, i have never been a huge fan of the mouse (and hate keyboard controls). i like the console controller for the most part, there are too many buttons. Yes, most of the PC gamers have much better gaming equipped computers than i do (i am doing this post from a Toshiba notebook desktop replacement with integrated graphics).
Sure, i played some Age of Empires, some Lavamind (awesome games, Gazillionaire Deluxe is the most accessible) and some of the earlier Dungeons and Dragons games (Curse of the Azure bonds, etc). In fact, i did most of my "gaming" on the PC (in the days where they sold shareware in the stores). My sister had a ColecoVision Adam (which can loosely be described as a computer) and i spent much more time playing games on that. However, my view on that changed slightly when i got a Sega Genesis. There were the console style games - like platformers, console RPGs, beat-em-ups, etc. i spent less time playing games on the PC and more on the console. My view was more re-inforced with the PSX and the Xbox systems (though i may play Game Room on my PC - a result of crashes/bugs in the XBLA version). Sometimes games, like Spore or whatever, seem midly interesting - but i am not a huge fan of sandbox games with no real ending.
i know that there are wireless computers/peripherals and you can use your TV for a monitor. However, there is one thing i cannot separate... i view PCs as primarily work/productivity and information. i view game consoles as more fun/diversion, frustration (occasionally). i believe in the separation of devices - i don't want one device that does everything. i don't even watch movies on my console. So, in other words - i typically like to separate work and play. The PC is work (or it would be) and the console is play. If i had a phone i would likely draw a similar distinction against playing games on it.
The PC gamer defense force was out in force. They were talking about how PCs have better graphics and the like (and how the best gaming is done on the PC side). That is not a persuasive point for me - as quite frankly, my eyes aren't that great. Also, i have never been a huge fan of the mouse (and hate keyboard controls). i like the console controller for the most part, there are too many buttons. Yes, most of the PC gamers have much better gaming equipped computers than i do (i am doing this post from a Toshiba notebook desktop replacement with integrated graphics).
Sure, i played some Age of Empires, some Lavamind (awesome games, Gazillionaire Deluxe is the most accessible) and some of the earlier Dungeons and Dragons games (Curse of the Azure bonds, etc). In fact, i did most of my "gaming" on the PC (in the days where they sold shareware in the stores). My sister had a ColecoVision Adam (which can loosely be described as a computer) and i spent much more time playing games on that. However, my view on that changed slightly when i got a Sega Genesis. There were the console style games - like platformers, console RPGs, beat-em-ups, etc. i spent less time playing games on the PC and more on the console. My view was more re-inforced with the PSX and the Xbox systems (though i may play Game Room on my PC - a result of crashes/bugs in the XBLA version). Sometimes games, like Spore or whatever, seem midly interesting - but i am not a huge fan of sandbox games with no real ending.
i know that there are wireless computers/peripherals and you can use your TV for a monitor. However, there is one thing i cannot separate... i view PCs as primarily work/productivity and information. i view game consoles as more fun/diversion, frustration (occasionally). i believe in the separation of devices - i don't want one device that does everything. i don't even watch movies on my console. So, in other words - i typically like to separate work and play. The PC is work (or it would be) and the console is play. If i had a phone i would likely draw a similar distinction against playing games on it.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Why i Came Close to Buying a PSP
i haven't owned a Sony video game system since the PlayStation One (PSX). However, this week i strongly considered buying a PSP-3000. The thing that cuased me to take notice was the price drop to $129.99. i also looked a little at the PS2, but was somewhat disauded by how hard it is to find some of the RPGs -(my favorite genre) i was curious about (and that they were marked up online).
i was going to use a PSP mostly as a device to play PS One Classics on the PlayStation network. This was also going to be a chance for me to play some of the earlier JRPGs that i hadn't before (and those i had). However, the start-up costs are still a little higher that i want. What i am talking about here is $129.99 for the PSP, probably about $50 for an 8 GB memory card, $50 or so in PS network "points". Then maybe i would get a game or two (or 4). It is still about $30-50 more than i want to pay without any games (and not considering almost 10% sales tax).
So what was i interested in that is playable on the PSP (basically some Tri-Ace games)?
* Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
* Star Ocean: the First Departure (i kind of like the 4th one and was wondering about the rest of the series)
* Star Ocean: the Second Evolution
* Lunar Silver Star Harmony
Now for the second part: PSOne Classics
* Grandia ($10)
* Alundra ($5.99)
* Final Fantasy VII ($10)
* Final Fantasy VIII ($10)
* Oddworld: Abe's Oddysse
* Oddworld: Abe's Exodus
* Parasite Eve (Rumored)
* Spyro the Dragon ($5.99)
* Spyro the Dragon 2: Ripto's Rage ($5.99)
* Spyro the Dragon: Year of the Dragon ($5.99)
* Suikoden
* Wild Arms ($5.99)
* Xenogears ($10)
If Sony really wants me to buy a PSP-3000, there is one really strong thing they could do: release Lunar 2: Eternal Blue as a PSOne downloadable title (preferably $10) in the US. i would probably buy at the current prices for that. Lunar: Eternal Blue is my favorite video game of all time (last i played it at least). i do not have access to the PS One version (and my alleged brother's Sega CD is not reliable). Lunar is one of those series where the games are typically listed on-line with significant mark-ups (especially the PlayStation versions).
i was going to use a PSP mostly as a device to play PS One Classics on the PlayStation network. This was also going to be a chance for me to play some of the earlier JRPGs that i hadn't before (and those i had). However, the start-up costs are still a little higher that i want. What i am talking about here is $129.99 for the PSP, probably about $50 for an 8 GB memory card, $50 or so in PS network "points". Then maybe i would get a game or two (or 4). It is still about $30-50 more than i want to pay without any games (and not considering almost 10% sales tax).
So what was i interested in that is playable on the PSP (basically some Tri-Ace games)?
* Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
* Star Ocean: the First Departure (i kind of like the 4th one and was wondering about the rest of the series)
* Star Ocean: the Second Evolution
* Lunar Silver Star Harmony
Now for the second part: PSOne Classics
* Grandia ($10)
* Alundra ($5.99)
* Final Fantasy VII ($10)
* Final Fantasy VIII ($10)
* Oddworld: Abe's Oddysse
* Oddworld: Abe's Exodus
* Parasite Eve (Rumored)
* Spyro the Dragon ($5.99)
* Spyro the Dragon 2: Ripto's Rage ($5.99)
* Spyro the Dragon: Year of the Dragon ($5.99)
* Suikoden
* Wild Arms ($5.99)
* Xenogears ($10)
If Sony really wants me to buy a PSP-3000, there is one really strong thing they could do: release Lunar 2: Eternal Blue as a PSOne downloadable title (preferably $10) in the US. i would probably buy at the current prices for that. Lunar: Eternal Blue is my favorite video game of all time (last i played it at least). i do not have access to the PS One version (and my alleged brother's Sega CD is not reliable). Lunar is one of those series where the games are typically listed on-line with significant mark-ups (especially the PlayStation versions).
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Game Room: Leaderboard Predictions for March 2011
So, here are my predictions for what games will increase leaderboard levels in the month of March. Once again, i am using my irr method.
A major wildcard here could be the release of Game Room (sort of) on Windows Phone 7. If that happens, i expect the 5 probable titles to achieve the next leaderboard level (assuming there is no level cap). These 5 titles are: Asteroids Deluxe, Centipede, Lunar Lander, Pitfall and Time Pilot.
As time goes on, it seems to become less likely that leaderboards will increase substantially. This is especially true as more and more titles hit the 1,000 leaderboard threshhold - it takes a while to get to that next thousand. Furthermore, sales could show decline as the Game Room hiatus wears on.
Apparently, some "legacy" estimates keep showing up and probably will until the leaderboard level actually increases (if it ever does). They are: Cosmic Commuter, Jungler, Millipede (2600), Scramble, Space Armada, Super Breakout, Tutankham and Yar's Revenge.
My Predictions of Leaderboard increses in the month of March 2011 (in alphabetical order, mostly) ...
01) Amidar - to 1,000
02) Battlezone - to 5,000
03) Beamrider - to 600
04) Circus Atari - to 800
05) Cosmic Commuter - to 400
06) Crackpots - to 1,000
07) Demons to Diamonds - to 900
08) Desert Falcon - to 90
09) Jungler - to 10,000
10) Kaboom - to 900
11) Millipede (2600) - to 8,000
12) Missile Command - to 5,000
13) Pooyan - to 1,000
14) River Raid - to 5,000
15) Scramble - to 10,000
16) Space Armada - to 8,000
17) Star Strike - to 100
18) Submarine Commander - to 70
19) Super Breakout - to 9,000
20) Thin Ice - to 600
21) Time Pilot - to 7,000*
22) Tower of Doom - to 700
23) Tutankham - to 8,000
24) Vectron - to 60
25) Yar's Revenge - to 10,000
Edit: it looks like i got 12 picks right: Amidar, Circus Atari, Cosmic Commuter, Crackpots, Desert Falcon, Kaboom, Pooyan, River Raid, Submarine Commander, Super Breakout, Thin Ice and Tower of Doom.
A major wildcard here could be the release of Game Room (sort of) on Windows Phone 7. If that happens, i expect the 5 probable titles to achieve the next leaderboard level (assuming there is no level cap). These 5 titles are: Asteroids Deluxe, Centipede, Lunar Lander, Pitfall and Time Pilot.
As time goes on, it seems to become less likely that leaderboards will increase substantially. This is especially true as more and more titles hit the 1,000 leaderboard threshhold - it takes a while to get to that next thousand. Furthermore, sales could show decline as the Game Room hiatus wears on.
Apparently, some "legacy" estimates keep showing up and probably will until the leaderboard level actually increases (if it ever does). They are: Cosmic Commuter, Jungler, Millipede (2600), Scramble, Space Armada, Super Breakout, Tutankham and Yar's Revenge.
My Predictions of Leaderboard increses in the month of March 2011 (in alphabetical order, mostly) ...
01) Amidar - to 1,000
02) Battlezone - to 5,000
03) Beamrider - to 600
04) Circus Atari - to 800
05) Cosmic Commuter - to 400
06) Crackpots - to 1,000
07) Demons to Diamonds - to 900
08) Desert Falcon - to 90
09) Jungler - to 10,000
10) Kaboom - to 900
11) Millipede (2600) - to 8,000
12) Missile Command - to 5,000
13) Pooyan - to 1,000
14) River Raid - to 5,000
15) Scramble - to 10,000
16) Space Armada - to 8,000
17) Star Strike - to 100
18) Submarine Commander - to 70
19) Super Breakout - to 9,000
20) Thin Ice - to 600
21) Time Pilot - to 7,000*
22) Tower of Doom - to 700
23) Tutankham - to 8,000
24) Vectron - to 60
25) Yar's Revenge - to 10,000
Edit: it looks like i got 12 picks right: Amidar, Circus Atari, Cosmic Commuter, Crackpots, Desert Falcon, Kaboom, Pooyan, River Raid, Submarine Commander, Super Breakout, Thin Ice and Tower of Doom.
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