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Despite the plummeting price of real estate and the skyrocketing cost of gasoline, video game sales seem to be surviving the slump. Even while everyone is trying to make ends meet, it seems that everyone still feels the need to play video games to relax and enjoy life. Why not? If we are going down the drain, why not do it while having fun? Besides, I believe we are able to find solutions to our problems when we are not too uptight about them. Creativity is spurred better when we’re not stressed. Read the rest of this entry »

And you thought it was raining money in the Sony camp? Apparently, despite the PS3’s hefty price, Sony is unable to recoup the cost they incurred from research and development of the PS3. Research and development constitutes bulk of the cost to manufacture and distribute the PS3 console.
The company’s fiscal 2008 annual report reveals that Sony has now lost about $3.3 billion on the Playstation 3 since its launch. That is broken down into losses of $2.16 billion in 2007 and $1.16 billion in 2008. The only reason is because they priced the console lower than production cost. Pricing it higher would give competition free reins in the market which could translate to even bigger losses, not to mention possible loss in goodwill and reputation among gamers worldwide.

However, losing money on the console is a common occurrence in the industry. Companies such as Sony usually lower prices on the console to sell more units, but they recover from higher software sales. In the last quarter alone, Sony’s game division improved sales by 26%. They expect the trend to continue with the upcoming exclusive games such as Metal Gear Solid 4 and Resistance 2. There is only one question. Will the increase in software sales compensate for the losses from the console? At a whopping $3 billion, it will take a whole lot of software sales to recover from that.

When I became a parent, I swore my kids would have the time of their lives.  There was one thing that I wanted them to be — happy.  I believe that having a wonderful life started by having a happy childhood.  Of course, this had to be balanced by helping them develop self-esteem.  They had to have a sense of achievement — knowing that they are capable of doing something with their lives.  Making them independent and responsible was balanced by having fun playing with each other and friends.  For their leisure, I wanted them to have the best — it was a way of making them believe they deserved the best.  This meant that I had to provide them the best entertainment any kid could have — state-of-the-art games and gadgets.

Game consoles had then become something they looked forward to every Christmas.  Of course, they had to have good grades and no major misdemeanors were allowed throughout the year.  The first console I got them was an Xbox.  They were already given a PS2 as a gift earlier, so it was the next console on the line.  The following year, it was a PSP and then an Xbox 360 in the next.  Between my gifts and those they got from their uncles, my kids almost had all the consoles in the market right at their fingertips.  Other than those I mentioned, they have a gameboy advance, a gameboy SP, a Nintendo gamecube,  a Nintendo DS, and a PS3.  There was one thing left they didn’t have, it was the Nintendo Wii.  They were already expert gamers and the Wii was the last option because they thought it was for babies — the games were for adults playing tennis or little kids swinging swords.

Yep, my kids were considered the luckiest kids on the block.  But there are times I am concerned when I watch them playing games that border on violence and notoriety.  As I watch games becoming more explicit and violent, I started to be more strict with what they play.  I don’t usually mind the ESRB Ratings on the box, now I am more conscious.  I started when I watched my kids laugh while they ran over someone while steering a stolen car in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas.  I bought the game based on their request, not knowing that it had an M (Mature) ESRB rating.

After having a serious talk about how these games can affect their perspective about things in life, they were not allowed any more Mature rated games.  The most they were allowed were T (Teen) ESRB rated games.  I had to give in to that because I realize that challenging games rarely went below a T rating.  Luckily, our serious talk seemed to be working.  They know the difference between games and real life.  And even while they play, I can see that they avoid killing whenever possible — none of them ever chose to play the antagonist, even in role-playing games (RPG).   I have not been called at school for any misdemeanors.

I try to watch them play whenever possible so I can monitor how they characterize themselves while playing.  Any sign of going over the dark side, would mean a serious debriefing and a warranted punishment.  So far, my security measures were working.  I just have to keep reminding them that it’s still best to be the nice guy.

Christmas is merely breaths away and I’m starting to decide what to give the kids this Christmas. It has been a tradition to give 3 rowdy boys just one big gift every Christmas instead of 3 separate smaller tokens. Last year, they got their PSP. This year they were hinting on any of the bigger consoles that came out the market about a year ago. I did some research and thought it might help out anyone who may be in a similar dilemma.

Sony’s PS3 is the most expensive of the new consoles at a hefty price of $499 or about PhP22,000. Bulk of the cost is attributed to the Blu-Ray DVD capabilities of the console, a new format that enables high-definition DVD playback and allows for better resolution and more sophisticated games. It has a 3.2 GHz cell processor which is the most powerful chip ever found inside a video game console and holds either a 20GB or a 60GB hard drive, depending on which version you opt for. The 60GB version ($599) comes with WiFi and a media card reader. Sony updated its bluetooth controllers to the new SixAxis controller –looks and feels like a DualShock controller, but is motion-sensitive in six directions. It’s not as innovative as the Wii controller, but the SixAxis does add another element to gaming, such as utilizing the motion sensitivity to control skating or driving. It also allows up to 7 bluetooth controllers — that means the entire family can play together. Moreover, unlike the the XBox live, Sony’s online service is absolutely free, allowing free multiplayer games without any add-on softwares or upgrades.

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