Crunch Games

Although nearly one million video game consoles were sold in the US during the month of June, industry analysts say that the numbers were down approximately 30% when compared to the sales posted this time last year. While Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo continue to compete for the same customers, the numbers show that gamers are more focused on buying other types of electronics. The Nintendo 3DS premiered last month to a somewhat lackluster response. Although Nintendo reports that 85,000 units were sold, this is far lower their initial estimates.

The good news is that both Sony and Nintendo are working on releasing the next generation in their video game consoles. Considering the fact that even the youngest gaming console is now five years old, consumers want more than just access to software updates. In their defense, gaming console manufacturers are able to keep their operating costs lower and pass on that savings to consumers by limited the number of consoles that they develop.

Game console manufacturers expect sales to pick up in the fall when the shopping season begins, but they might continue to see a decline in overall year to date profits. The main reason is that many gamers are opting to purchase used and refurbished consoles rather than to shell out twice as much for a brand new game. Game console makers will need to offer more titles, better graphics and price their products competitively in order to get the edge on their competitors and overtake them in overall sales.

So its obvious that Microsoft unveiled the Kinect in response to the Nintendo Wii, but the company has not released a whole lot of interactive titles that center around fitness. Nintendo might have ‘The Biggest Loser’ and ‘Just Dance 2,’ but ‘UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System’ promises to get gamers in shape without making them feel warm and fuzzy. The thing about Nintendo Wii games that focus on fitness is that they’re usually geared towards children and those that aren’t really looking for a high impact workout.

With the Kinect, ‘UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System’ players can keep track of their progress and execute each move with provision. You can also customize your avatar to look identical to yourself, and as you continue to workout over a period of time, the definition on your stomach will not just be on your stomach. UFC fighters are known for their hard hitting moves and over the top personalities. Even if you aren’t a fan of the sport itself, you can still get a calorie burning workout just by turning on your Xbox 360.

The game is supported by the National Academy of Sports Medicine, which means that couch potato gamers and professional athletes can get a safe and effective workout. You might never want to get into the ring with a real UFC fighter, but if you have been thinking about making your debut in the sport, ‘UFC Personal Trainer: The Ultimate Fitness System’ can give you a good start.

When ‘Touch of Death’ first was released by Vigil Games, reviewers were torn. The game is hard hitting, action packed and filled with death and destruction, but the real question is, haven’t gamers already seen this again and again? The sequel, ‘Touch Of Death: The Combat Of Darksiders II’ won’t be released until sometime in 2012, but videos of the game in action have been posted on the web. Gamers will play as the character Death, and his menacing name matches up with his moves. The tall, brooding creature doesn’t have a lot of armor, but he stalks his victims with two over sized swords.

The game draws its inspiration from the bible, more specifically the apocalypse. As the forces of good and evil do battle, your objective is to save one of the four horsemen, your brother named War. The game play is fairly simple – rage through levels, defeat your enemies, and eventually face off with the boss. The scenery is beautifully drawn, and the graphics are rendered with stunning precision.

This edition of ‘Touch of Death’ will be faster and more brutal than the first installment. For gamers that like to be able to just pick up the controller and dive in, ‘Touch Of Death: The Combat Of Darksiders II’ will provide them with unlimited entertainment. Of course, you’ll have to wait until 2012 to get you hands on this exciting new title, but there are plenty of screenshots, trailers and interviews with the creators available to satisfy your cravings until then.

Starting in Japan, the Nintendo Wii is being used by museum curators and art galleries to help explain the long-term effects of gaming technology on popular culture. While it is clear that the Nintendo Wii is great for teaching young kids about the importance of maintaining an active lifestyle, game maker Shigeru Miyamoto believes that he can go one step further. Miyamoto has launched an initiative to get Japanese schools to make use of the Nintendo Wii. By encorporating the Nintendo Wii with physical education programs, Miyamoto believes that the world can actually get fitter.

Of course, school systems in other parts of the world believe that games have no place in education. Japan seems to always ahead of the times, so perhaps school administrators will begin to change their minds once they see real results. Independently run preschools and charter schools have long used interactive and computer based games to educate youngsters. It took US schools years before computer labs became standard, but the Nintendo Wii might be a harder sell.

Add to that the fact that the Microsoft Kinect is also showing promise, and you can start to see why most school systems are just saying ‘no’ to the Nintendo Wii. The gaming system has helped millions of people to become more physically fit, but it also might be a distraction when used in a classroom setting. It will probably be another few years before Japanese school leaders are able to determine whether or not the Nintendo Wii is an asset.

Video game retailers may have sold a record number of gaming consoles, game titles and accessories in December, but as soon as the holidays came to a close it went right back to business as usual. The release of Microsoft’s new gaming accessory the Kinect helped retailers to reel in consumers that were not planning on making any purchases. ‘Call of Duty: Black Ops,’ was the single best selling video game title of 2010, but now many gamers are more focused on finding out more about upcoming titles before buying them.

A few new video games are being released by developers such as Ubisoft and EA, but they are depending on controversy to increase their sales. Ubisoft made headline news when they released thousands of red balloons in San Francisco to announce their newest title, ‘Homefront.’ Although the game maker certainly got a lot of attention their publicity stunt may not have been big enough to make an impression on cash strapped gamers.

Besides game titles, video game console sales also took a big hit. Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony were not able to sell as many consoles in January as they were able to in previous months. On the other hand, game accessory sales increased slightly. Sony has continued to lag behind the other major gaming console manufacturers. In late 2011 the PSP 2 will be released, however, the hand held gaming device will be competing directly with the Nintendo DS. Video game retailers may have to wait until the next holiday season to see an increase in revenue.

From first glance it is obvious that the makers of “Call of Juarez: The Cartel” are attempting to capitalize on “Black Ops: Call of Duty,” news surrounding the Mexican illegal drug cartel and tastelessness at the same time. Although the game may only appeal to those want to play the role of unethical ‘lawmen’ who want to keep the US safe, Ubisoft is going to have a lot of explaining to do to the hundreds of workers in the gaming industry that are trying to maintain a level of integrity. Violence, humor and political incorrectness all go hand in hand when it comes to video games, but there are a number of people that are furious about the impending release of “Call of Juarez: The Cartel” because it really has no place among the elite.

In fairness, most people are waiting until the game is released before forming an opinion, but the fact is that there are tons of ways to get attention without making light of a current tragedy. The Mexican drug cartels are willing to take out anyone who stands in their way, from journalists to innocent bystanders. While it is plausible that gamers have fantasized about doling on their own versions of vigilante justice against these criminals even they know that there is no way of working these ideas into a video game without insulting the thousands of people who have lost their lives. Maybe Ubisoft really will surprise us all, but they may have stepped over the line with this game.

You may have never heard of ‘Tiny Town,’ but then again you probably aren’t a member of the US Secret Service. This is the name of the platform that they have been using exclusively for years to test and train their agents. In order to see how Secret Service agents respond to emergency situations, ‘Tiny Town,’ generates a number of possible scenarios. So far, the program has been effective but the US government feel that an upgrade is necessary. It should be noted that the original, ‘Tiny Town,’ was extremely similar to a board game.

Soon, US Secret Service operatives will be training on a new and improved version of the program aptly named, ‘Virtual Tiny Town.’ This video game based training program will allow the Secret Service to give trainees a more realistic feel of what they can expect before they go out into the field. In addition, they will need to learn how to react when they are bombarded with an attack of smoke, wind and other elemental factors in this simulated training experience. Overall, it will be easier to measure when a new trainee is ready to be promoted because ‘Virtual Tiny Town,’ will elicit a more realistic reaction. With better trained US Secret Service agents in the field, US citizens will know that they will be much safer. Many may think that video games are for entertainment purposes only but military and governmental agencies are proving that this technology can not only improve training but it can also help reduce costs.