For the uninitiated, Hypercritical is a weekly talk show hosted by Dan Benjamin and John Siracusa on the 5by5 network. The whole premise of the show is that nothing is so perfect that it is without complaint. On this particular show, Siracusa turned his attention toward game controllers.

He begins with the classic Nintendo controller and does an analysis of each new generation of hardware from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft (oddly enough, leaving Sega out in the cold). It’s a very interesting look at the evolution of ergonomics in controller design and is an entertaining listen.

It got me to thinking, though, what my favorite controller would have to be. At this point, I’d like to say the Xbox 360′s controller takes the cake because of the comfort and contour; however, I really like the placement of the analog sticks on Sony’s Dualshock controller. It’s difficult to say, really. If I could get an Xbox 360 controller with the analog sticks placed like they are on the Dualshock, I’d be in console gaming heaven. As it is, I guess I just have to settle.

I mentioned this already, but I found it odd that Sega got no love in the show, especially when you consider that their Genesis gamepad did quite a bit for ergonomics because the A, B, and C (and later in addition, X, Y, and Z) buttons were arched around where the thumb was expected to pivot. That, in addition to the curved edges and rear of the controller, made for a pretty comfortable experience. Sega’s controller is even more impressive when you consider that this was all done in 1988, at a time when this was the most popular video game controller.

There’s something to be said for progress, you know?

Nintendo, who has been in the video game industry since 1974, has had yet to report an annual loss since they began reporting their numbers in 1981. Unfortunately, it appears it might be heading that way, as Big N is projecting a net loss of US $264 million through March of 2012. The game giant blames a strong yen and slowing sales of its Nintendo DS units as factors in the loss.

Just a few short years ago, Nintendo was on top of the world with record sales of its Wii and DS systems. So what happened? The surge in smartphone gaming, coupled with strong showings by Microsoft’s Xbox 360 seem to be the most likely causes. In addition, Nintendo’s new baby, the Wii U, is set to be released next year, which will invariably cause a drop in hardware sales.

So what can Big N do in order to fix this situation? In the short term, probably not much. In the long term, however, perhaps an overall change in their business strategy might help to bolster the company’s ability to move units. Nintendo has always been about a fun experience. Let’s take it one step further, and make it about the best, most fun experience. They broke the mold with the Wii and the DS, and unfortunately have felt the sting of resting on their laurels. What they should be doing is pouring money into R&D and creating the best gaming experience they can possibly deliver, without compromise.

In addition, they should probably begin to take online gaming a bit more seriously. They’ve had their cute experiment with the “friend codes,” but it’s time to get real about online gaming. Gamers want handles, they want leader boards, they want achievements. Nintendo can continue to cater to the masses as they have been with the casual gaming of the Wii and the DS, but they need to reel in the hardcore gamers as well if they want to stop losing money. Courting third party developers has to be another priority on Nintendo’s list of things to do, as there is so much potential in the Wii and Wii U for creative gaming experiences that aren’t yet being taken advantage of.

Whatever Nintendo does, they need to be smart and have a plan. Only time will tell if they can climb out of this pit.

I was chatting with one of the older crowd the other day, and I noticed his desktop wallpaper was a stretched and pixelated image of Cactuar from Final Fantasy VII (yes, I know it first made its appearance in Final Fantasy VI – I’m being specific). We began reminiscing about Final Fantasy VII, and how we hated the whole “Aeris dies” bit. This was because we spent so much time leveling her up only to have her get the kibosh, and how Sephiroth was a badass enemy, but Kefka from Final Fantasy VI was way cooler.

This is the typical route our conversations about games usually take, and it usually ends awkwardly as we both realize that we’re slacking, and we need to get back to work. One bit of the discussion got me to thinking, though, as it’s something that’s been on my mind for quite some time – the fabled Final Fantasy VII remake. It all began with a tech demo video Square Enix released back in 2005 at the annual E3 conference. Instantly, speculation was high and the fervor of the fans clamoring for an official announcement was immeasurable.

Square Enix was quick to deny that they were working on a remake of the game, much to the disappointment of many a gamer. The main reason cited for the lack of a Final Fantasy VII remake project was simple – a lack of manpower and time. In an interview with Yoshinori Kitase, producer of Final Fantasy XIII, in February of 2010, it was stated that a remake of Final Fantasy VII “would take as much as three or four times longer than the three and a half years it has taken to put [Final Fantasy XIII] together.” Not a month later, in March of 2010, Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada told reporters that the company was investigating the possibility.

No news has been heard in well over a year and a half. So as for the final word on this title, it appears that (at least for the time being) it is only but a Fantasy.

Portal was first released in 2007 by Valve Software. Portal 2 came out earlier this year and posted high sales as fans returned for more. The basic idea is that utilizing a portal gun, you can create holes that allow you to travel to previously unreachable areas. Throw in some tasks, create a story line, and you get a fun action/adventure game.

Like all great books, comics, cartoons and video games, fans will get to dreaming about how they wish the story could come alive. That is exactly what Dan Trachtenberg, co-host of the Totally Rad Show was thinking two years ago. He took the main character from the game, and he created a six minute short. Other than using the main premise of the game, the short strays away from the Portal story. Trachtenberg debuted his film at the Comic Con festival, and then he posted it to Youtube.

As I mentioned earlier, the short is a huge hit. When I first saw the trailer, I got so pumped because I thought it was probably the best game to movie clip ever. I really hope Valve Software runs with the idea, but at the moment they still retain the movie rights. What is encouraging is what Trachtenberg had to say in an interview with the blog, Very Aware,“Well it’s certainly redundant to say I love the game and its universe, but to be honest, I was more excited about seeing the technology in the game in a different world. The video game is very whimsical and somewhat cartoony – I really wanted to explore the idea of taking the fundamentals of Portal and placing it in a much grittier, serious place.”

Hopefully this game will be a movie some day. Until then, check out the short video because it is EPIC!

I know my articles are often about first person shooters, but I am actually a sucker for the Mass Effect series.  Shooters are fun to play with friends, but in general, their stories are only so-so.  On the other hand, Mass Effect is a RPG/Third Person Shooter.  For those who are still new to the series, the other two are great games.  Mass Effect received a 9.4/10 from IGN, and a 9.75 from Game Informer.  Mass Effect 2 received a 9.6/10 and 9.75/10 from the same two respectively.  So, you should play them sometimes (preferably before you play number three).

Mass Effect 3 begins where a great cliffhanger left off.  Although you have dealt with the Collectors, and stopped them from making a Reaper, the Reaper fleet has awoken, and is bearing down on humanity.  Obviously, this game will be about your quest as Commander Shepard to defend the galaxy against the Reaper fleet, which is bent on a complete genocide of the human race, as well as any other species that gets in the way.

This final game will also help piece all the parts together.  Other things are making the game look great as well.  It has been rumored that the weapons will be customizable, such as different scopes, barrels, and ammunition.  Also, the skill will start along a single path, and then split into two groups where the player can select one upgrade or the other.  The gameplay will also change.  IGN editor Aurthur Gies said that  “Combat-wise, Mass Effect 3 is in an entirely different space” after a preview, and that “It plays like a shooter.”

This game is being looked at by many different video game media outlets, and it is set to be the game of 2012.  I agree; the game I look forward to most in 2012 is Mass Effect 3.

This has been a crowning achievement for video games as a form of art. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first time an accredited museum has held an exhibit specifically for the art of video games. There are quite a few gems in there too. From the Atari VCS to the Playstation 3, the amount of games and genres accounted for is staggering.

You’ll notice that for every generation of Nintendo games they have listed, The Legend of Zelda series always makes the cut. It’s no wonder. This is the game that defined what it meant to be an artfully crafted adventure game. Brilliant in execution, and brilliant in its various artistic stylings, it repeatedly shatters boundaries and carves itself a nice little piece of history.

Another one of my favorites that made the list is Metal Gear Solid for the Playstation One, a game that follows the missions of Solid Snake, a soldier tasked with infiltrating a weapons base in Alaska. This was the game that made stealth in video games so popular. For the day, the graphics were realistic, and the direction and production of the cutscenes were top notch. From the acting, to the action, this game had it all.

This will no doubt be an exciting and educational exhibit to attend, and I implore you, even if you’re not a fan of video games, check it out. I promise you – you will not be disappointed.

This weekend I had the opportunity to have a first hand experience at a LAN party. It also happened to be the weekend that I moved into my new apartment, so that was a nice impression. I cannot tell you how many times they told me, “I promise this does not happen every weekend.” I thought it was pretty amicable, but I was certainly glad to hear that I will not have to hear all the yelling and the screaming about something that is going on in the game.

LAN parties are made up of people coming together with their computers in order to game together. Typically, the host sets up a separate server for the LAN party or a wireless network. Usually, the wire-connection,with ethernet cables,  is much faster and thus preferred. At this LAN party there were over 10 computers hooked up via network cables — yes, there was  definitely a mess of cables all over the place. However, even the network connections were different amongst the computers. The computers affected the game play as well, but there was one person in particular who continued to complain about how it was not fair how his connection was the slowest and that it was the reason why he continued to lose. We’re talking a couple of seconds here people, seriously, a few seconds. However, I will admit that even a one second delay could affect a game like Call of Duty where people are going after each other with guns and such. Being a second behind in the game could definitely prevent you from ducking out of site from an enemy.

So, we had 10 guys playing Call of Duty over here on my cousin’s server. I was just a witness, but it was fun to watch them play each other. In order to host a LAN party, you have to have enough room for all of the computers. You also need enough room for people to jump around out of frustration or just rest. Food and drink are typically a neccesity as well, but that goes for parties in general. Unfortunately, the food is typically made up of chips and energy drinks — how healthy.

This was just a small LAN party. There are huge LAN parties too — these are typically hosted by companies and are held in a large hall.

“So what is your dream game?”

That is what we asked over at the Idea Offer community.

The winning idea was put forth by Theory5:

I would perhaps like another first person shooter game that is based in space in the far future, preferable with some fighting on board a spaceship. I liked where halo took it, but perhaps this could be more of a hard science sci-fi shooter with different measurements of gravity occurring at different times, including zero g. It would also invoke awe with amazing scenes of planets and other spaceships.

Another great idea came from another idea contributor, tavlesh :

This is a bit broader than a specific genre, but a lot of what drives replay value is multi-player support; and a more specific but important facet of this feature is the ability to play cooperatively.

Plenty of friends enjoy being able to play on the same team against the game/computer foes, but this is particularly useful for couples who enjoy playing video games together. Sure, many couples don’t necessarily mind competing head to head but it can be easier on the relationship if the two can, at least sometimes, take on a challenge together, whether it’s empire-building, strategic and/or tactical combat, or strapping on RPG gear to form a party and beat up on some monsters.

In particular what makes this useful for couples is the ability to play cooperatively over a LAN, so that a couple’s computers can talk directly to each other rather than having to go out onto an Internet matching site to find the machine sitting 2 feet away from its mate.

We would like to hear what kind of game you are looking for.  Give us your thoughts!

Akira has been a great influence on not just games, but music in general. He’s shaped the way people think about how music in games, not just as a necessary evil in the background, but as a vital part of telling the story. His music has defined a genre of gaming and has paved the way for others to follow. This is why it came as such a shock to find out that he would not be involved in the creation of the newest Silent Hill title.

Ever since the first chapter, I’d been both personally drawn to the man’s music. He knows how to get the message across and does so in such a way that you can’t help but listen and go, “Yep, this guy is as screwed up as the game is and he has no problem showing it.” Yamaoka is one of those rare artists who sincerely enjoys inflicting emotion on the audience and even more important than that– he knows when and why to do it. It’s like George Carlin said about the Blues: “It’s not enough to know which notes to play. You’ve got to know why they need to be played.”

So I’m hoping, that with any luck, series newcomer Daniel Licht (of Dexter fame) will be a decent replacement for Akira. He’s got big shoes to fill, that’s for sure. And that doesn’t even take into account the loss of Mary McGlynn, who stated in an interview that as far as she knew, she wasn’t going to be included in SH8, but mentioned that she would be doing other projects with Yamaoka.

I can’t wait to see what happens with the new game, which is scheduled for release sometime in 2011. Regardless of it’s success, I’ve been a fan of the music for so long I can’t wait to hear the new sounds and can’t wait to see if they’re up to snuff.

If you’re interested, check out the trailer for the new game here.

It’s disappointing, then, when you consider just how great these games were. I’m excited that these titles will have a second chance at garnering the breakthrough success that they deserve and hopefully, with better advertising, this will be an easy accomplishment.

The first of these games, Beyond Good & Evil, was released in 2003. The story was centered around the female heroine Jade and her recruitment by a rouge group aiming to expose government corruption by aliens on their home planet. The gameplay was varied, and included platforming, photography, racing and puzzle-solving. It was graphically very unique and the musical score made it very easy to get entrenched in the game.

The other games are actually to be released as a collection. Ico and Shadow of the Colossus are not only made by the same developers, but are also two parts of the same story. Unlike Capcom, who still need to do a proper remake of Resident Evil 2, Team Ico seems to understand that if you have vital parts to an epic story, you don’t go leaving one of them out.

Ico, which was released in 2001, tells the story of a young boy born with horns who is exiled in a fortress. He meets a young princess whose mother is intent on sacrificing her in order to extend her own life. In a similar story, Shadow of the Colossus (released in 2005) introduces us to Wander, a young boy who travels to a forbidden land in order to kill the sixteen colossi and bring a young girl who was sacrificed back to life.

Both games were graphically minimalistic, and relied on the expansive environment to create a sense of realism to the game. The musical scores were also amazing and engaging. They were truly immersive games.

I’m expecting these games not to be too terribly expensive, as they are being released as downloadable content. For this reason I can only recommend that you purchase these as soon as they are available.