1943 will be released for $15 and then they will have new maps and extras you can buy.  So what is the better model?  A small game for free with upgrades or a cheap base model of a bigger game with upgrades?  I remember talk, just talk, about them releasing Madden for $20 where it was just the game.  If you wanted Franchise Mode or Online Gameplay, you paid extra.  Does this appeal to you?  Americans seems to like the all you can eat buffet method and not the pay was you go.  Although there is a great yogurt shop that charges by the ounce near the office.  That place rocks!

As the interweb gets faster and faster, I can see more and mroe games trying out new delivery methods and game types.  Why has there never been a great episodic game like a TV show?  Pay for each episode or buy a season pass.  You know it is around the corner. 

My question is what model do you like best?  Will a free game ever be worth your time?  What are some games that you can see taking advantage of this? 

We all do things that are a bit on the edge.  I speed, I am quite often drunk in public, I think I will stop there before I incriminate myself.  One thing I do not do is rip movies or music.  I have worked in the game space too long to do that.  I do not pass judgement but I do not feel comfortable stealing IP. 

I did not always feel that way.  I had a modded PS1 and tried almost every game on the market, via burned discs.  If I truly liked the game I would buy it, but that was rare.  Something changed in me, and I just never did it again.  I was a member of Napster when it first started, and then uninstalled it after the trouble started brewing.  I think I am the only person on the planet that still buys CD’s, even if I do buy them used.  I even buy songs on iTunes. 

I am no priest so this is not confession time, but I want a little fessing.  Come clean, free your mind and your soul.  Brother Barry is here for you and will listen.  Give me something you do to live life in the grey. 

The show floor itself is not all that interesting.  I mean if you are looking for an MMO engine, face mapping software, tree building, new ways for sound, etc…then it is great.  There were a few exceptions to that rule.  Sony was showing games in 3D with nerd glasses to go right with it.  They were showing a racing game that was not very interesting but the potential was there.  The second was OnLive, which I am sure you have heard way to much about by now.  If you have not, go check them out at www.onlive.com .  The third most interesting booth was Gillette where they had a couple of cute girls who would not actually shave you, but prepare you for the shave and watch as you shaved yourself. I kid you not!  Like an idiot I showed up clean shaven…

The real business of GDC does not get done at any of these spots however.  The meetings worth while all take place at XYZ, the lobby bar / lounge of the W hotel.  Getting a seat there is more prime then any spot in SF.  You can sit there and hold court.  All the big exec’s come through all day long and with the free wifi you can Tweet, Blog, Facebook, or even GameStrata all day and report on who is meeting with who.  I had one meeting that was not at XYZ and I felt like I was out of place.  I mean meeting in the conference room was odd.  One year we met with Microsoft at their booth, but that made sense. 

Bottom line, if you ever go to GDC, stay at or near the W, and hang out there for most of the day.  Oh and make sure you show up to the show unshaven.

GTA IV – You know they spent a ton of time on the story, VO, missions assignments, everything.  Even though not my type of game, I appreciate the quality, depth and time it took to build such a masterpiece.

Bad Company – Amazing story and VO.  That game was funny, well designed and fun to play.  It was not as good as it could have been, but still you had to appreciate the effort.

Those are two examples of games that took forever to write, design, and create.  

Fighting games such as Soul Caliber IV and Street Fighter IV – Great games, but the level of depth is not there like GTA IV or Bad Company. 

 How about the COD series? W@W and COD4 are my two favorite games the past two years.  With that said I do not think the stories hold up to Bad Company, Force Unleashed or GTA.  I am already sick of Kiefer Sutherland’s voice.  Game play still a ten, just story is only a 6 or 7.  Not bad, just not great. 

The Final Fantasy series is not something I got into, how are those games on depth of story?  See where I am going here?  Help me out, let’s find the best game stories and games that even though we might not love, we appreciate for the story.  There are ton to choose from!  How important is story anyway? 

The Force Unleashed won the Writer’s Guild award for best story, and I think it was a great story.  MGS or GTA probably deserved it more, but it is hard to say it was a travesty it won.  Let the list begin!

Since gaming is so mainstream now, how come there is no national gaming day?  How hard could it be to start up the Super Saturday Game Play Day.  Okay, I get it, the name sucks.  SSGPD does not exactly flow off the tongue.  But let’s not get ahead of ourselves; is this something you can get behind?  A day that is all about gaming, a dedicated day to sharing that experience with others all around the world. 

My thought is the perfect day would be the Saturday before Super Bowl.  It is kind of a celebrated weekend anyway, what is one more thing to add to the fun?  Saturday is the prep day for the crowds.  My friend’s take it easy on the Saturday before the big game because Super Bowl Sunday is usually spent drinking, and I mean an all day drink fest.  Spending Saturday celebrating gaming makes perfect sense.  There would be tournaments, events all day and a good day to report the news of the past year. 

I can’t do this alone!  I need your help!  First off, is this a good idea?  Second, how is my choice of days, got a better one?  How about a name?  I know I am asking a lot of you, but you are not alone.  This is going to be the brain child of the GameStrata community.  So get your game face on and your thinking caps placed, and lend a hand.  We can do this! 

I played WOW for about 3 days and my level 5 character never got into a guild, nor did I care to.  I was bored stiff.  I tried D&D, Ultima Online, and Warhammer Online.  I have seen Eve Online and am intrigued, but think it is too late.  I would get very excited for Diablo MMO, but I think that will just be called Diablo 3, and not be an MMO.  I know Bigbird is excited about the Stargate MMO coming out, but I don’t watch the show, so think the game would be wasted on me. 

Another thing would get me excited would be if that everyone from GameStrata was playing the same MMO and we could game together all the time.  But apart from most of you being  way to immature to play with, we all like mostly different games, or at least play such a variety not one game would keep us satisfied for very long. 

It is pretty clear what type of MMO I want.  I want a Diablo or D&D type, that lets me have PvP, a group from GameStrata and not cost me $240 a year.  What would get you paying $10-$20 a month for a MMO?  Would it be better if it was a console MMO instead of a PC one? 

That is how Webster’s define Fun.  I however define fun differently:-noun 1. Killing someone in a multiplayer video game.  I define VERY fun as knifing someone in COD.   I do not know why or what makes it so much fun, but I can die 5 times in a row but as soon as you kill someone it feels so good, that the frustration of the previous deaths go away.  Yes Team GameStrata has been playing a lot of COD lately, but this fun factor is not just for killing. A ten play 80 yard drive in Madden against someone, say Bigbird is just as much fun as killing someone.  One could argue that a one on one match could have more euphoria then a team battle.  It is why games track nemesis, it is trying to make the game more intimate then huge team battles.  I have not played Resistance 2 online with 60 person online gameplay, but I am guessing it is not as fun as 16.  More chaos and it is hard going after the guy who just killed you.  Whoever has played Resistance chime in here.  I find that 8 on 8 is the perfect number.  What do you think?

There was a question asked today about playing single player vs playing multiplayer games.  I like completing levels in single player games, just not as much as I like MP battles.  I almost feel like in certain games the single player versions are basic training to learn maps and weapons so you can compete in the MP version. 

What is the single most fun factor in gaming for you?  Someone please explain to me why I get so giddy when I kill someone, I am starting to feel bad about this!  Oh and those dogs in W@W are NOT fun.

There are definitely other factors that lead to the type of player you are.  Such as how long you have been playing, are you comfortable with the control, do you have lag.  I get all those, but streaks are different.  It is also not game by game, it seems to be more session by session.  I have no idea why this is.  Shouldn’t it be more game by game?  Why do these type of streaks seem more prevalent?

Athletes go through streaks, especially in baseball and they chalk it up to mechanics.  Is there such a thing in gaming where you can be off your game by posture, or controller placement?  Bigdood says lack of concentration or lack of sleep factor in.  How about things like mind set?  Sometimes I am just playing to kill a few minutes before going out, other times I am sitting down for a monster session, does this make a difference?  Okay so by now you get.  What is it you get?  The fact that I don’t know why these streaks happen. 

Do you have these type of streaks?  Why or why not?  Does it vary by game?  Please help me figure this out!

Control!  It must be control right?  More than just moving around the screen and controlling your weapons, aim and fire.  It has to do with feeling your actions truly control the outcome of the both the single player game and the multiplayer game.  It takes both strategy, thinking and of course immense death and destruction.  All of it you control. 

Take it a step further in multi player.  Teamwork is a form of control. When you see a group of two or more guys working together as a team, they are very tough to beat.  You can get one of them, but the good groups flank out and well you know the drill.  They return a lot of fire. 

Immersion!  Execution! Intensity! All great words for COD4, but I still think it is control that did it for me.  Fallout 3 is a great game, and I think control is something that makes that game have a huge replay ability. 

COD4 is just one of those games that you can sit down to play and have an immediate impact on your team and have a blast playing.  I am not sure I have come close to nailing what makes this game so damn perfect, so help me out.  I know this question has been asked before on GameStrata, but we need more analysis.   

What do you think made this game so perfect? 

Halloween kicks off the holiday season and it had me thinking about whether that means I am going to have more or less time to game?  Less light usually means less time in the office, but it also means more holiday parties, family events (Yes ma I will be home for Thanksgiving) and time away from the TV.  It takes me forever to buy gifts for people because I have no idea what anyone would really want.  I pine over it, then usually just give them wine.  Maybe I can save some time and come to the conclusion earlier and play more games that way. 

The bottom line is a lot of good games are coming out between now and Christmas and I will have less time then ever to play them.  The best gaming time for me is between Christmas and New Years, a lazy week before the BCS Bowl series and lots of gaming!  But between now and Christmas my free gaming time is cut in almost half.

So my question is do you find yourself with less time to game during the holidays or not?  If its less time, what % less?