G-pinions

I am sorry I have been absent for almost a whole week. Nick valiantly carried on the G tradition in my stead, but I'm sure you were wanting for Haikus and random rants, right? Right? Sadly, the reason for my brief stink away could lead to an even longer hiatus in the coming weeks. I was staking out the Greater Bay Area for a place to call home. And, as this picture clearly demonstrates, I found a perfect, flat apartment to call my own. Let's see if you Google Earth sleuths can figure out where this building is located based on images taken miles above the surface we dwell on. To make it ever more difficult, the red arrow which seems to be indicating my future home may actually be pointing to the wrong building altogether. That's just how I roll.

Do not fear, I may not have been updating but I have still been very much immersed in the gaming industry while I made my Western voyage. For instance, I have played roughly ten hours of the new Castlevania game. How is it? I haven't technically finished it yet so you may have to wait a few days for a comprehensive analysis, but if you're holding the package above a checkout counter right now and need to know if it's worth $35, I can assure you that it is most definitely not. While that one sentence opinion may not have helped anyone in the grand scheme of life's plans, it did plant a tasty idea in my mind. I have literally thought of this while typing the preceding sentences so, if it seems half-baked, you are correct. Please don't laugh.

You know how everyone hates numerical ratings? Nick and I have made a concerted effort to avoid using numbers of any kind in our almost three years (or is four?) of barfing up our opinion. But one theme has rung true throughout - a propensity for buying cheap games. Why would Nick and I rip on Electronic Art' latest atrocity and then happily buy a brand new copy of Luigi's Mansion or Gun X360? It's all about price. I purchased the Gamecube's sole noteworthy launch title years after the fact because I felt $10 was well worth the experience of playing a ghost-hunting game with little in the gameplay department but undeniable charm. Nick scrounged up a last generation port of Gun X360 at launch because, after much finagling, he was able to get it in his hands for less than half the price of retail. While Nick and I would never push old women to the ground for the chance to plop down the absurd price retail stores were initially asking for these games, it was easy to slop out some dough when the price rounded more to our liking.

How about a review system that places a monetary value on every games? I realize the logistics are nearly impossible, but the idea seems solid enough. Viva Pinata, for instance, is a game I could hole-heartedly endorse. I spent $50 on the game and felt as though a bargain was offered. I can confidently state the game is actually worth the MSRP. Kameo, on the other hand, is fun and beautiful, but I never would have spent $50 on it. However, I am ecstatic that I was able to snare it for $20. Price is one of the major reasons to buy, or avoid, a specific game. To rate games on their worth would save some hassle for would-be buyers.

Obviously, this system has some major flaws. Most glaring is the capitalistic treatment of games in this system. Even if you include the likes of Hamsterz and Ping Pals, games are still a form of art. To place a monetary value on art is an insult to the artist. However, it cannot be ignored that games are a commodity. If developers had to live on the street just to code a few more lines, games would not exist today. I apologize in advance if anyone is insulted by sticking a price tag on games, but I can't worry about insulting a select few with my grand ideas to help the greater good.

Another problem? I play every game I can get my hands on. I wouldn't be able to recommend spending $60 for Gears of War because it just isn't different enough or fun enough to grab my attention for long. But if you play only a few games a year and want a graphical powerhouse that packs a wallop in the gameplay department, GoW would be well worth $60. My new rating system has some quirks that need to be worked out, but it makes reviewing off-beat titles with limited appeal much easier. Plus, it makes reviews timeless in a way traditional number ratings do not. The monetary value of games should not vary much during the life of a system. Obviously, no one would spend $60 to play Super Mario Kart now. But, it would have been worth that much at any point in the SNES' life.

I'll use Dead Rising as an example of a game that should retain its value through the life of the X360. Dead Rising was a game I really loved. Easily one of my favorite titles of the year. But the gameplay was simplistic and the story mode over all too quickly. If someone was reading that review when I wrote it back in August, they may have moved on to other, more affordable titles. However, when the price drops to $40, someone could read my review, see all the good things DR has to offer, and could feel confident in their purchase.

Don't worry, Nick and I aren't going to invent a standard G scoring system anytime soon, but I may just toss the ol' "it's not great, but if you can find it for $20 you should scoop it up" line in a review in the near future. If that isn't an obvious hint about the actual worth of Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, I don't know what else to say.