GIAndy Blog

LFTE: Free to Pay (March)

Andy McNamara — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 19:44:00 GMT

I'm not exactly sure when the phrase "free-to-play" became ingrained in our lexicon, but it's a business model that has its roots in the PC freeware business of the 1980s. Of course, back then the ways to extract money from customers were far less developed. What started as games supported by an advertising or demo model has moved into the "freemium" generation, where in-game items or member services are the primary source of income.

I am not here to say I hate free-to-play games, or capitalism for that matter. I thoroughly enjoy playing free-to-play games, and who doesn't like making money? The business model does not define its entertainment value. Nor does paying for the entertainment make it a rip-off. Games are expensive, and the hard-working men and women of game development deserve compensation for their amazing products.

I am, however, slowly but surely becoming annoyed at the straight-faced lies that game publishers and developers deliver in the freemium space while they inform me how lucky I am to be playing their product for "free."

I have lost count of how often I have been told by developers and publishers that people who spend money in a freemium game don't get an advantage over people who don't pay. This is true in some cases, but I am seeing an alarming trend where opening up the wallet not only leads to advantages in-game, but in essence is making games more expensive than they would have been at that old industry standard of 60 American dollars.

Players are able to unlock weapons faster in first-person shooters, ensuring that the army with the biggest pocketbook has an advantage over pure skill. Leaderboards will always be questioned on whether the player was good or just had the cash to keep purchasing "gems" or whatever other made-up monetary device the game employs. Or what about RPGs, where you can refill meters that let you kill monsters that would normally be beyond your power, or level and gain attributes at a faster pace?

Do you have to buy your way to victory? Certainly not, but these developers are preying on our competitive instincts to line their pocketbooks. Is it a fair exchange? It really depends on the game and how each person feels about parting with their hard-earned dollars. It does concern me, however, that the hardcore fans tend to be the ones covering the bill for those who are unwilling to pay. The playing field -suffers when the rules can be bent for just a few dollars more.

Do You Believe In The Phantom? Miller Does!

Andy McNamara — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 18:48:00 GMT

Every once in a while someone breaks out an old school t-shirt here at the office that cracks me up. Today, Miller is sporting the amazing fashions of Phantom - a home console that was doomed to fail from the onset. Soon after its debut in 2004 everyone in the world thought it was dead in the water, until they showed up at E3 and gave out these t-shirts. Because you know, nothing says your business plan is solid and going exactly as planned as these t-shirts.

I included an image of the system and a link to a YouTube video for those that want to learn more. Perhaps someday Miller will have a sweet Ouya shirt too.

The image at the top is of the front of the shirt. Here is the back! Gorgeous I know.

The system itself actually had clean lines, and its lapboard idea that enabled you use a mouse and keyboard from the couch was kind of ingenious.

YouTube Link: (Please visit the site to view this media)

LFTE: The Dramatic Death of Single-Player? (July)

Andy McNamara — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 16:30:00 GMT

The announcement that God of War: Ascension would add multiplayer to the classically single-player experience brought forth a number of conflicting feelings from gamers around the globe, including myself.

This is not the first time a franchise known for its single-player experience has walked down the competitive multiplayer path. Uncharted, Mass Effect, Dead Space, Assassin's Creed, BioShock, Max Payne, and even Grand Theft Auto have expanded past the boundaries of single-player.

While some reacted positively to the news of God of War's new addition, many boiled with unbridled Internet rage.

Some proclaimed they wouldn't buy it, and others complained that every game doesn't need multiplayer, but reader Alex Hanavan perfectly summarized the frustration longtime solo gamers face by asking, "Is multiplayer mandatory now for every single new game?"

Gamers are a smart and passionate group, so it is easy to see why players are wary that the addition of multiplayer could lead to lesser investments in the single-player experience. I, too, can't get that nagging thought out of my brain.

Of course, there is no proof that adding multiplayer to a game reduces a developer's investment in the single-player experience. Since it is basically impossible for a developer to make both at the same time with equal budgets and talent behind the titles, we will never really know the answer to the question.

Gamers in the single-player camp will always point to the millions spent on multiplayer as a waste of money that could have made the single-player experience better, while multiplayer fans will sometimes wonder why there is a single-player experience at all (see Battlefield 3).

Neither group is right or wrong, but I know there will always be a thought in the back of my head when a single-player game falls short (or vice versa), that game developers are trying too hard to appease everyone when focused effort on a single discipline would offer better results. Some developers and publishers are capable of doing it all, as we have seen in many blockbuster titles featuring amazing single- and multiplayer experiences. But whenever someone falls short, gamers will be there to ridicule and cast doubt.

LFTE: A Fair Exchange? (June 12)

Andy McNamara — Fri, 25 May 2012 20:15:00 GMT

As discussed in our feature on game monetization [in issue 230], with the advent of freemium games 99-cent apps, and downloadable content expansions, premium console games face one of their toughest challenges yet. How do publishers convey value for a $60 game in a world where a larger percentage of titles are free or available at a fraction of the cost?

I don't just speak for myself when I say there is a market of gamers who are willing to pay more for an experience that goes above and beyond the call. The popularity of games like the multi-billion dollar Call of Duty franchise proves that. Those same gamers also prefer experiences that are devoid of invasive ads or built solely for the purpose of taking dollars out of their pocketbook rather than delivering unadulterated entertainment to fill their valuable free time. The real question is, will the traditional $40 to $60 price tag for console games still be acceptable as we enter the next generation of hardware?

In my mind there is no simple answer, because every entertainment medium - be it movies, TV, or video games - is an exchange. I give them money, they keep me joyfully occupied for a period of time, and when it is over I deem whether the exchange has value or is a rip-off. This is not qualitative judgment of product in the classic game review sense; this is a consumer interaction graded in the rawest of forms: Was the fun worth it?

With free games, it is easy to get to the tipping point of making it a positive value for the customer, but I've still had free experiences where I felt ripped off because my time is valuable. Bad games are bad no matter what the cost. Great games make a player feel like every penny spent was worth it, no matter the cost.

The solution sounds simple: Game publishers should offer games at a value-appropriate price. Small, simple games (hell, even giant MMOs) can be free. Small, simple games (hell, even giant MMOs) can be expensive. Determining the value and formulating a strategy for selling and marketing your game is a right every game publisher should have. Unfortunately, on consoles they don't have that power.

The platform holders - in this case Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony - charge publishers and developers a set fee for each game and enforce pricing standards. In effect, they take the decision of whether or not the game is a good value proposition away from the creators. Want to make your game free-to-play on Xbox Live? Too bad. Thinking about porting that App Store game you sell for 99 cents over to Vita at the same price? Sorry, that needs to be $12.99.

Publishers and developers are not free to make these decisions in the current console game environment, and if it doesn't correct itself other game platforms where the creators are empowered to define price freely will win the battle - not of price, but of value. Premium games aren't in danger of extinction, but archaic control over game pricing should be.

LFTE: Gaming's Secret Weapon: Passion (May 12)

Andy McNamara — Fri, 25 May 2012 20:11:10 GMT

The last few months I have been lucky enough to spend more time than an editor-in-chief like myself normally gets to spend listening to and hanging around a number of independent game developers. It was glorious.

In particular, I sat and played Spy Party with creator Chris Hecker, who walked away from EA after working on Spore for six years to create a game by himself (and a contracted artist). At its core, Spy Party is a game of spy vs. sniper where one player takes on the role of a spy and tries to complete objectives in a group of partying artificial intelligences, while the other player is a sniper who must pick the spy out of the crowd and assassinate him. You only get one shot, so you need to make it count.

Hecker is committed to making it both easy to pick up and play by someone with little game experience and as deep and complex as Counter-Strike so that experienced players can compete at another level for years to come. Players can use lots of small details and tricks on both sides of the scenario to subtly trick the other player into tripping up.

That goal, as you have already guessed, is not easy, and he may never reach the gaming nirvana he chases. But the important lesson here is the fact that he chases. Many accuse today's established publishers of not chasing the rabbit down the hole to find and foster true innovation.

That statement is both true and false. Game innovation does happen, but in a world where business rules, oftentimes the quick and easy path to success is the preferred choice for the average publisher. One man in his apartment can take significantly more chances, as he is seeking nothing more than his own approval (and if he is lucky, gaining his investment back so he can do it again).

Hecker is not the first independent developer, nor will he be the last. But I sense a similar unwavering passion from one indie developer after another. It's not always what they say, it is how they say it. Their voices drip with a want - a need - to adventure down the path they believe is right. This passion from both established players in the indie market and young students gives me hope for gaming's future. I have no doubt these "small" games will create giant reverberations that will shake and change gaming now and in the future.

JOB: Game Informer Is Hiring An Associate Editor

Andy McNamara — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 19:04:00 GMT

UPDATE: ***WE ARE GOOD ON APPLICATIONS - THANK YOU***

Yes. Game Informer is hiring. But before you run to send me your résumé and tell me all the awesome things you know, please be aware of a few things:

*You must be prepared to move to Minneapolis (and no whining about Minnesota winters).

*You must include a cover letter and writing samples. Yes, that is samples as in plural, and I prefer ones that relate to video games.

*You must have extensive video game knowledge.

*In this day and age if you aren't already writing a blog or working for another website or magazine you must show me a plethora of amazing writing samples. This job is not sitting around playing video games. It's a high-pressure, deadline intensive, creative environment that requires people skills, extraordinary writing talent, the ability to complete tasks, and a nose for stories.

*Highlight your skills that go above and beyond what we are looking for. Can you edit video? Are you a master at InDesign? Are you a coder? A proofreading savant? Can you recreate all of Hyrule in LEGOS? These are the things we need to know.

Here is the job posting, you can send resume's me to at andy@gameinformer.com (please include attachments AND the text pasted into the document):

SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY

ASSOCIATE EDITOR - Game Informer (Minneapolis, MN)

Tracking Code

581-403

Job Description

SUMMARY

Working under general supervision, the Associate Editor is an integral part of Game Informer''s day-to-day editorial functions. This position writes video game reviews, previews, feature articles, and other various commentary for other departments for the magazine. The primary business outcome for this position is to provide readers with information about new and upcoming video games to create excitement and increased sales.This position also requires constant travel and contact with industry PR professionals, publishing houses, and developers.

ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES*

Write reviews, previews, feature articles, and other various commentary.
Proofread copy and page layouts.
Maintain positive, professional relationships with industry professionals and experts.
Secure story materials from developers.
Fact check article content prior to print.
Meet daily and monthly magazine deadlines.
Assist production in the layout of stories.
Brainstorm feature ideas with senior staff.
Use video capture software to take screenshots of games.
Travel to publishers, developers, events, and conventions for news/relationships.

RELATED COMPETENCIES

Building Strategic Work Relationships - Developing and using collaborative relationships to facilitate the accomplishment of work goals.
Compelling Communication - Clearly and succinctly conveying information and ideas to individuals and groups; communicating in a focused and compelling way that captures and holds others'' attention.
Driving for Results - Setting high goals for personal and group accomplishment; using measurement methods to monitor progress toward goals; tenaciously working to meet or exceed goals while deriving satisfaction from that achievement and continuous improvement.
Quality Orientation - Accomplishing tasks by considering all areas involved, no matter how small; showing concern for all aspects of the job; accurately checking processes and tasks; being watchful over a period of time.

BASIC AND PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS (EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE)

High school diploma or GED required; Bachelor''s degree from an accredited program in English, Journalism, or related field preferred
At least 5 years of experience writing and editing material for a magazine, newspaper or other form of print journalism/media
Must be able to travel domestically up to 75%

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS, JOB SKILLS, ABILITIES

Working knowledge of Windows-based business computers and Microsoft Office programs; specifically, Excel, Outlook, and Word, including Adobe Photoshop
Proficient knowlede of all facets of video games, platforms and era''s
Proficient ability to communicate effectively with others using spoken and written English
Proficient writing and proofreading skills
Ability to work under demanding time constraints and production goals, including the ability to meet short-term production deadlines
Proficient relationship building skills, including the capacity to predict and manage behavior, build and leverage cross-functional partnerships within and outside of the organization
Proficient aptitude for playing and evaluating video game software
Proficient project planning skills, including the ability to organize, prioritize and control job responsibilities in order to meet editorial deadlines in an environment with overlapping and potentially conflicting priorities
Ability to recognize discrepancies/errors in written/electronic data/information including the ability to initiate and respond to work errors in a professional manner, working collaboratively and cooperatively with others
Ability to work with production staff and provide general direction for graphical layouts
Ability to remain flexible and adapt to changing priorities with promptness, efficiency and ease
Consistently demonstrates a commitment to Game Informer policies and procedures, including but not limited to, attendance, confidentiality, conflict of interest, and ethical responsibilities

Job Location

Minneapolis, MN, US.

Position Type

Full-Time/Regular

Salary

US Dollar (USD)

LFTE: Video Killed No Radio Star (April 12)

Andy McNamara — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 18:09:36 GMT

I often witness first-hand the strange fascination gamers have with defending a game or system with zealous enthusiasm - as if it's impossible to like both the Xbox 360 and the PlayStation 3. It is easy to admire the passion and excitement gamers have for the medium, but at the same time these juvenile arguments are no better than "my dad is stronger than your dad." They are as interesting and engaging as watching a battery recharge.

I often put game developers above such reproach, but as the battle rages between console, PC, handheld, and games on social platforms, I get the feeling that developers themselves are starting to be blinded by their own beliefs and are falling into traps about the delivery system rather than focusing on the ingenuity and innovation of the games themselves.

Free-to-play companies claim without hesitation that all games must be free-to-play, and that games that come with a price tag simply can't exist in the future market. Some industry analysts say no handheld system can ever survive in a world dominated by phones. Social platforms and cloud services claim they will soon make consoles obsolete. Developers can't survive with used games. Piracy is good. Piracy is bad. Digital eats retail. Nintendo is dying. There is fire in the streets and cats and dogs are living together.

Some prophecies will come true as the world continually evolves, but all these prognostications remind me of the Buggles' 1979 hit "Video Killed the Radio Star." I love free-to-play games and I love triple-A blockbusters; why must things be looked at as either/or? Video obviously never killed the radio star, so why do people believe that one fish must always eat the other?

If only free-to-play existed and I had to deal with the annoying game concepts designed to milk every dollar one penny at a time from my wallet, I would go insane. If the gaming world was composed only of the biggest and loudest blockbusters then it would truly be a boring hobby.

We need independent developers pushing the envelope. We need Apple and Facebook introducing millions to gaming. We need platform holders, manufacturers, and publishers creating new products and innovating the ways we consume them. It's all part of the ecosystem that makes gaming what it is today and tomorrow.

Saying there is only one future is shortsighted. Gamers, game publishers, and developers should realize there is more than one way to skin the proverbial cat. Then we can let the silly arguments fade away and focus on the important things in life, like how games will entertain people around the world from now till the end of time.

LFTE: The GI Community Rules (Mar 12)

Andy McNamara — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 22:29:00 GMT

When we relaunched gameinformer.com back on October 1, 2009, it felt like I was staring into the abyss. Who or what would be there looking back at me after launch? I had 18-plus years of making magazines under my belt at the time, but this was the first time I had developed a website with real effort behind it (some longtime readers may remember Old Yellow, which was purely a labor of love we did while busting our butts to put out the magazine).

Just under two and a half years later, I could not be happier with the result. The site has been experiencing great growth, but the most impressive part is that even as we have grown our community has continued to be one of the best on the Internet in my humble opinion (yes, in this case I am very biased). I was more than a little scared of the wrath of anonymous Internet users spamming us with hate like I see from online communities around the web, but the Game Informer community is an amazing bunch of people (thanks in no small part to our fantastic moderators).

If you don't already make it a daily destination (or even better - your browser home page), you are missing out on a lot of content that complements the magazine or can be enjoyed on its own.

We have some amazing community bloggers who impress me each day with their interesting and thoughtful takes on the video game industry. We have a weekly podcast (and sometimes Respec Radio), numerous video shows (including Replay, The Quick 15, and The Misadventures of Reiner and Phil), and all the custom content created by our video team. This includes our fantastic videos that give readers a chance to hear about the games straight from game developers behind our exclusive cover stories.

But that's just the tip of the iceberg. We also deliver daily video game news, unique previews, DLC impressions, interviews with gaming's illuminati, the always exciting cover reveals, editor blogs, and quick access to Game Informer's digital edition. You can even interact with the staff in our comments section or by following us on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, or YouTube.

This is just the beginning, as we have even more plans for Game Informer online, Game Informer digital, and the magazine in the coming year. So consider this an invitation to come join us and the rest of the GI community on gameinformer.com. We'll do our best to make sure you don't regret it.

Cheers,

Andy

LFTE: Follow Up (Feb 12) Warning: Owain Is So Awesome He Will Crush Your Soul

Andy McNamara — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:03:00 GMT

Just yesterday I was contacted by Matthew Lee Johnston of PopCap who was gracious enough to thank me for my interest in the story of Owain Weinert and Allied Star Police. If you didn't read my Letter from the Editor in the February issue, I highly recommend you check it out, as I declared Owain and PopCap's touching tale to be the best of 2011.

Besides his sincere thank you, he also included this YouTube video of the Make-A-Wish keynote the two gave back in October. I seriously have so much respect and admiration for this kid. He is my hero, and gives me faith in the world where sometimes I think people couldn't be worse. I thought I would share.

Warning: This video is extremely touching and just shows that someone needs to make this into a major motion picture as any movie theater that ran it would not have a dry eye in the house.

Once again, major kudos to PopCap, Matthew, and Owain (and you can grab a link to the game on my letter).

Cheers

Andy

(Please visit the site to view this media)

LFTE: The Story of the Year (Feb 12)

Andy McNamara — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:19:00 GMT

I’m not sure how the video game industry ranks when compared with other forms of entertainment, but when it comes to charity and giving back I’m proud of all the work being done out there by gamers at large. (Admittedly, not a lot of it being done by me. Bad me.)

From Child’s Play to the dozens of game-a-thons and events that happen throughout the year, gamers do a good job of giving back. By no means do I want to trivialize or diminish these great deeds, but one thing really blew me away this year – the story of Owain’s Wish and the wonderful people at PopCap who made it happen.

This 10-year old boy was introduced to PopCap through the Make-A-Wish foundation after being diagnosed with pre-B acute lymphocytic leukemia in 2010. Owain’s wish was to make a video game.

I don’t know what you were like when you were 10, but I vividly remember taking pen to paper and designing my own games. Sitting and wondering what could be was almost as fun as the games themselves.

PopCap gave Owain his chance to come in and tell them about his game, as his father had told them, “What he really wanted was to hang out with ‘real game designers.’”

Little did they know what was to come. In their own words, the PopCap team was “blown away when he came with a PowerPoint presentation and basically walked them through the game.” The following is an excerpt from PopCap’s own site.

“Here’s how his first slide began: ‘You are a military genius who has just been released from cryo-sleep. Your brilliance in the Lunar War convinced the A.S.P. (Allied Star Police) to put you in cryogenic slumber, just in case WWIII showed up. It’s not exactly WORLD war three, more Galactic War one...’

Owain described his game in detail as he went through each slide. He had mapped out pretty much everything; storyline, unit types, firepower, shields, respawn times. We were blown away. Clearly, Owain was not your average fourth grader.”

Owain is far from average indeed. This story hit home on so many levels – from challenges with leukemia within my own family, to my dreams as a kid – and it all culminates in the ultimate power of video games to heal and make the world a better place. Kudos to PopCap for doing something amazing, and here’s to Owain for Allied Star Police.

The game is out on iOS now, and it’s fantastic. But the story is even better. As of this writing Owain was being discharged, which is the best news of all.

Email the author Andy McNamara, or follow him on Twitter, Google+, and Game Informer

Letter From The Editor Backlog (Issues 222-224)

Andy McNamara — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 19:50:00 GMT

I gave my brother a kidney, so just try and sue me for being late! Here is my backlog of "Letter from the Editor" from the last three issues in one handy blog post!

Issue 222

The Golden Cartridge Heard Around the World

I know some Game Informer readers were not playing games (or perhaps even born) yet when The Legend of Zelda was released on the Nintendo Entertainment System, but you can take it from someone who was there in 1987 when it hit North America: It's hard to believe it has been 25 years since the groundbreaking title debuted in Japan back in 1986.

The odd part is not that the release feels recent; it is that it seems so much longer ago. We have seen so many innovations and changes in the industry over the last two and a half decades. The graphics, the design, and the technology behind every aspect of gaming has taken massive leaps forward in such a small span of time. Yet The Legend of Zelda still stands as one of the greatest of all time.

Imagine if you saw a game of the same graphical style being sold for your phone today. Most people would say that it looks like garbage based solely on the visuals. Zelda, of course, is about the furthest you can get from garbage. This game - this entire series - has defined gaming for years. The classic tale about a hero saving the world and the struggle between good versus evil is timeless; don't be surprised if gamers continue to celebrate Zelda's anniversary (and new installments) for many more decades to come.

Game Informer has let too much time pass since our last celebration of the world's favorite little hero in a green hat, and this month we fix that with an amazing cover story that both commemorates the series' anniversary and explores its future with a 10-page cover story on Skyward Sword.

Enjoy the issue.

Issue 223

It Sure Can't Hurt To Ask

It's our November issue, which means that if I want to get in my wish list of goodies in time for the holidays, I better do it now. I could be selfish and request that Audi R8 V10 I'd like in the old present pile, but I've decided I'd rather give to everyone and make some requests that I would like to see happen in the video games industry.

First on the list, console price cuts. Nothing gets more people playing console games like making the cost of entry cheaper. Sony dropped the price of the PS3 to $249, which is a great start, but we all know the magic number is $199, so let's go Sony and Microsoft - let the masses get in on HD gaming.

Next up is new intellectual property (or IP). We all love the established giant franchises that dominate the market, but they were all new IP once, and the industry can always use new blood and new perspectives. The big sequels make the world go round, but we need new ideas to keep our fingers busy year round.

I love first-person shooters as much as the next guy, but I would really love to see some other genres get a little more love (and yes, I realize that consumers need to do their part and be more adventerous to make this happen). Elder Scrolls is one of the few RPGs hitting it out of the park these days on consoles, and its success shows that people are willing to pay for great experiences in different genres. All you have to do is be committed to making great product.

And finally, one selfish request: I want my 2D Metroid in HD and Half-Life 3. The wait for these two games is killing me.

Enjoy the insane amount of games that are out this month, and the issue.

Issue 224

For the Sake of Argument

I've never been shy about pointing out things that annoy me, and like any good loudmouth, I get proven wrong on a frequent basis. It comes with the territory.

The Nintendo Wii? From day one the controller and lack of HD graphics annoyed me. Do I love some of the games on the system and think it's imperative that a gamer own one to play all the greats? Without question, because Nintendo is one of the greatest - if not the greatest - game developers in the world. I know I won't be the only gamer blowing the dust off a Wii, ejecting a copy of Super Mario Galaxy 2, and smiling through the lingering cloud as The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword slides into the disk drive.

Do I think I was wrong about Nintendo Wii? Probably, as the system has dominated sales this generation and entertained tens of millions of gamers around the globe. But at the same time, in the last year the excitement around the system has slowed to a crawl. Some of it can be attributed to the announcement of Wii U, but I think there has been some fatigue at the gimmicky control system.

Nintendo isn't the only company guilty of mistakes. Xbox 360s still break around this office and at friends' homes like drunken, blind mice built them. Can anyone turn on a PlayStation 3 without having to install an update? Of course, some people's original Xbox 360s are still chugging to this day, and if you play PlayStation 3 every day, there must be at least be one or two days a year without an update (I kid, I kid).

At the end of the day, all these complaints and criticisms are just part of being a gamer. Complaining about games, game machines, developers, publishers, game magazines, CEOs, and websites are part of the fun. If we didn't have arguments about review scores and whose system was better, what would we talk about or use to show the depth of our nerd cred? Gaming is all about the fun when the machine is on, and when the machine is off, arguing about games is sometimes as entertaining as playing the games themselves.

Enjoy the issue.

What Is The Best GI Cover of 2011?

Andy McNamara — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:26:00 GMT

The complete set of Game Informer covers for 2011 is done, so I'm looking for your feedback on which cover you thought was the best. You can see all our covers in our fancy cover gallery located here if you want to take a closer look. I have a hard time picking just one. The Tomb Raider render was simply amazing. Darksiders 2 by Joe Mad was exquisite. Victor Antonov's work never fails to amaze me and he delivered with our sublime Dishonored cover. Then there is Assassin's Creed: Revelations, Mass Effect 3, Borderlands 2...the list goes on and on.

It was a good year, but if you had to choose, which COVER (not game) did you think was best?

Email the author Andy McNamara, or follow him on Twitter, Google+, and Game Informer

Peta Claims, "Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur"

Andy McNamara — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 18:13:00 GMT

I love animals. I think they are great. I'm not for cruelty to animals either, but this press release and the game itself are just dumb and an insult to gamers everywhere. I hope Nintendo sues them.

Here is the release:

NEW PETA GAME LAMPOONS SKIN-STEALING MARIO
Skinned Raccoon Dog Chases Down Tanooki Mario in Super Tanooki Skin 2D

Los Angeles — If PETA has its way, Mario has stolen his last tanuki skin. The mustachioed plumber is back to wearing tanuki fur ("tanuki" is the Japanese word for raccoon dogs), and now Tanooki is fighting back to reclaim what's his in Super Tanooki Skin 2D, a new side-scrolling game from PETA. In the game, which is the center of PETA's new "Mario Kills Tanooki" campaign, players direct a bloody, skinned raccoon dog as he chases a tanuki fur–suited Mario through a surreal fur farm where raccoon dogs are routinely skinned alive for their fur. Quick reflexes and jumping skills will allow Tanooki to capture Mario and reclaim his skin.

"Tanukis are real-life raccoon dogs who are beaten and, as PETA's undercover exposés show, often skinned alive for their fur," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "This winter, everyone can give raccoon dogs and other fabulous animals a 1-UP by keeping our wardrobes fur-free."

Tanooki may be just a "suit" in Mario games, but by wearing the skin of an animal, Mario is sending the message that it's OK to wear fur. We created our game to help inform people that in real life, Mario would be wearing the skin of an animal who was beaten, strangled or electrocuted, and it wouldn't give him any special powers other than the power of self-deception.

On fur farms in China—the world's largest fur exporter—raccoon dogs are confined to row upon row of tiny wire cages that are exposed to the elements. Many of the animals go insane from the intensive confinement. A "Mario Kills Tanooki" video shows undercover video footage of raccoon dogs as workers drag them from cages and slam them repeatedly to the ground to kill them. Most of the animals don't die right away, and some survive for as long as 10 minutes after they are skinned. One investigator recorded a skinned raccoon dog on a heap of carcasses who had enough strength to lift his bloodied head and look, blinking, into the camera.

For more information and to play the game, please visit PETA.org or click here.

A Journey Into The Weird

Andy McNamara — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:53:00 GMT

Today is a weird day for me. In my 20 plus years of working at Game Informer I have never really been disconnected from the office like I will be over the next month.

Long story short, my brother needs a Kidney and I am Spare Parts Brother 01 so I'm off to help him out. My journey has been a weird one, though.

I never really pictured myself the donating type, but that all changed during a week of compatibility tests when I learned a couple of amazing facts. First, a cadaver kidney offers an average 7 years to its new host (remember to check those donor boxes on those Driver Licenses), a living donor offers 17 years, and a related living donor gives a whopping 25 years. That's a big difference, but I'm sure anyone out there on dialysis and on a waiting list for an organ would tell you they would gladly get that seven years in a heartbeat. Being able to give my brother or anyone in my family 25 years "bonus time" is a pretty amazing thing, so I was instantly inspired to sign up without a doubt in my head. Second, I learned that given the right body anatomy, doctors can remove a donor's kidney through the belly button. That's right, not only is that weird, but down right awesome. Obviously, I'm hoping I have the right stuff to do this mini-version of the Alien chestburster scene. Otherwise, it's an incision, and in case you didn't already know, I'm a big nerd who is afraid of blood, doctors, and surgery - which of course is going to make the next month all the more weird.

So to anyone who tries to track me down in the coming weeks, my apologies in advance, but I know GI's awesome staff will get everything done right. Plus, you just know I'm going to be working feverishly from bed once I get past that post-surgery haze (at least I hope so). Plus, who knew donating a kidney would be such a great opportunity to hit that back log with a vengeance?

Well anyway, things like this in life give people a chance to get a little perspective, which is why my last words on this post will be a big thank you to the awesome staff at Game Informer that I get to work with, all the salespeople out there that get our magazine in front of millions of gamers, and of course, the amazing readers and community here on this website that make all the hard work worthwhile.

Wish me good luck, and I will see you guys on the other side!

Cheers,

Andy

PS: I cannot be held responsible for anything weird I say on my twitter account for the next 30 days.

LFTE: ...In The Membrane (Sept 11)

Andy McNamara — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 19:12:38 GMT

Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. It seems to me the video game industry just never wants to learn. We still have summers go by with the movie industry dropping some of its biggest films of the year, yet video games continue to putter along convinced that if you don't release games in a three-week period starting at the end of October and ending in the middle of November your game is doomed.

For the big franchises that typically sell millions upon millions of units, this holiday period is yours for the taking and deservedly so, but the rest of the publishers need to realize that there are opportunities for games to become blockbusters year round.

Look at this list of upcoming games that I personally consider to be potential blockbusters:

Battlefield 3
Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception
Star Wars: The Old Republic
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3
Gears of War 3
Assassin's Creed Revelations
Rayman Origins
Resistance 3
God of War: Origins Collection
Rage
Twisted Metal
Forza 4
Batman: Arkham City
Halo: Anniversary

You can't tell me that if publishers released any of these during the summer the sales would have been worse in the long run. I simply do not believe it. As games like Grand Theft Auto IV, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, and Red Dead Redemption proved in the past, if you release a big title during the drought, gamers will come. I believe they might even have a bigger upside considering the lack of serious competition during the summer months and the hunger gamers have for new experiences.

Plenty of other games, like the Ico/Shadow of Colossus collection and Dead Island, that will get little to no marketing, could also do better in the empty months when gamers are attacking backlogs rather than talking about the latest and greatest thing.

So why are publishers so stubbornly clinging to this relic of a release schedule? It's pure insanity.

Cheers,

Andy

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