N-Sider Opinion Collection: Week [5.26] - [6.01]
The feature is for those of you reluctant or simply without the time to scavenge the internet for reading material. These are editorial and other opinion pieces for a particular week that, in a way, reflect the current discussion of the gaming industry. While N-Sider doesn't necessarily share the opinions of the included pieces, we found them to be informative and possibly of interest to you. Be sure to click on the links to be forwarded to the full articles.
Washington State Bans Sale of Violent Games to Minors
While not as diverse, it's been another interesting week. To start it out, I came across an article published on GameIndustry.biz about Washington state's decision to ban the sale of violent games to minors. A few days later a follow-up was posted from one of the site's readers replying to the earlier news article. The original article had a very supportive tone for the new bill. The reader however disagrees and points out why he adamantly feels Washington state's legislation - to ban the sale of certain violent videogames to minors - is wrong. While the letter and original article are a little dramatic, they both bring up good points. In addition, GameDaily.com interviewed Representative Mary Lou Dickerson (D), the person who initially proposed the state of Washingtons new videogame sales ban. That interview can be read here.
Good Deals on eBay? ...Think Again
On the topic of legal issues, here's another one we're all familiar with - game pirates. SM128C.com published an editorial recently about game pirates selling their merchandise on eBay and the clues buyers can look for to avoid being scammed. The author takes an in-depth and first-hand look at some of the tactics these pirates use to sell their games and also compares photos of the legit games to "fake" ones. It's a suggested read for those of you who purchase games online.
Nintendo Will Never Be #1 Again
With both PlayStation 2 and Xbox outselling the GameCube in North America, it's a common occurrence that people discuss Nintendo's position in the gaming industry. From Nintendorks.com comes an article that takes a look at the despair of Nintendo's future. The author reasons that the atmosphere of today's video game industry won't allow Nintendo to reclaim its past glory. The article gives a look at how Nintendo would be if the company did change and how its fans would lose out as a result.
Surprise! PlayStation 2.5
Speaking of competition, here's an article from CNNMoney.com examining the recently announced PSX, an upgraded PlayStation 2. The article examines the potential of such a machine and its implementation into Sony's next home console.
Miyamoto Interview
One of the best reads in some time is an interview with Miyamoto conducted during E3. Some of the highlights of the interview include Miyamoto hoping to create a game that will stand up against Grant Theft Auto, how the company is experimenting with Animal Crossing over the internet, how "experiments" form into games, and his retirement plans. Be sure to read it if you haven't already. In addition, here's an interview conduced by The Seattle Times with Nintendo Co. Ltd president Satoru Iwata.