EA has been known for absorbing the competition, but the absorption tables may have just been turned. According to the Wall Street Journal, Disney should look at buying Electronic Arts as a way to boost its video game avenues. As delicious as the irony sounds and as much as I hate EA’s sleazy business tactics, I’m going to have to say no to this idea. Here’s some advice for you, Wall Street Journal: Don’t give Disney any ideas!
When it comes to celebrities versus voice actors doing voice-overs in video games, I’m inclined to favor voice actors. But as we’ve seen in films like Kung Fu Panda, the Shrek series, and even the various Pixar movies, some celebrities can do voice acting pretty well. A few famous actors, such as Patrick Stewart and Liam Neeson, have even lent their voices to video games. I could go on and on about who I’d like to see do some video game voice work, but here’s a short list of celebrities I’m eager to hear in games.
They say if you put 1,000 monkeys in front of a 1,000 typewriters they’ll write the great American novel… or something along those lines; all I ever remember is the monkey part. While getting even one monkey can prove to be difficult, (and believe me, I’ve tried), I doubt the same could be said of game design. But still, a gamer can dream, and lately I’ve been thinking about who I’d want to lock in a room (with all the basic necessities, of course) to design a game.
If ventriloquism was a dying art, then it has been born again thanks to comedian Jeff Dunham. Not only a successful ventriloquist, Dunham is one of the most popular comedians working today, thanks in part to the friends in his suitcase. Jeff and his puppets have skyrocketed to fame, bringing laughter and hilarity with them wherever they go. Having Jeff Dunham design a game would be like getting 5 guys for the price of one, and would definitely be a hilarious experience.
D-Dub Software is seeking to strike a blow to both the console industry and the ESRB by offering their games for download. We’re talking full downloads, without the need of a physical product to go out and purchase or order. D-Dub believes that if this is successful, it could spell the beginning of a download-only future for games that many have prophesied, and a crippling blow to—if not the end of—video games being sold in stores. Steam may already be on the track to creating this reality, but the thing about D-Dub is…they make games the ESRB would rate Adults Only, given the chance.
Game Design, Gamer Culture, Rock Band
There are many aspects of video games that have become so common that they’re almost generic. From the source material from which the story is derived, to the enemies we rack up points and experience fighting, and even the characters with whom we control and interact. I’m not asking for anything innovative; there are some things that have been used in video games before that could stand to be used again–and in some cases, used on a grander scale than they have in the past.
Politics, Second Life, World of WarCraft
President-elect Barack Obama brings hope and the promise of change with him as he prepares for his transition into the White House, and some of it relates to issues we gamers care about. While it does involve one of my least favorite organizations, the FCC, the good news is that the team Obama has put together to review the FCC includes a WoW player. That’s right fellow gamers, one of us.
Some see him as the Walt Disney of Japan. To others, he is a god of animation. Just saying the name “Miyazaki” evokes a sense of awe and wonder in some people that can’t really be put into words. Hayao Miyazaki has shown the world how animation can be used for more than just Saturday morning entertainment and proved that incredible films can also be animated. Having him create a video game would be a truly amazing visual experience.
