A Brief Conversation With Tak Fujii

I sat down to Twitter today in a bit of a Bum mood because of some news which I won't go into detail about. For some reason I had been having a bad day even though (for me at least) nothing was going wrong. It could just be my pent up stress releasing itself in a negative way, but I've been down. Anyway, I log onto Twitter and I'm still in a bum mood. Nothing good is happening in the world--I'm not even eating my dinner of home cooked southern fried chicken with cheesy macaroni and boiled green beans (one of my favorite comfort meals.) I'm just about to log out for the night when a tweet pops up from Tak Fujii, a producer at Konami. Tak has been following me for a little while now--funny thing is: here I am, a talented artist in my own right, but otherwise a nobody in the world; and Tak Fujii starts following me. I'm pretty sure he began following me before I followed him. It was all around E3 so I'm a little fuzzy on the details.

Anyway, I reply to his post--mainly just for fun but genuinely concerned. Again, I was about to log off when another post by Mr. Fujii popped up. This time it was a reply to me! I was surprised. Rarely does anyone reply to my own posts, let alone someone in the gaming industry. Flabbergasted, I replied again--hoping that he would again reply. A few minutes later he did. This was unprecedented! Never before had I received two replies from the same person. That justifies a conversation! I replied once more with my fingers crossed; I waited and waited, but there was not a third reply. Eventually he tweeted again--this time not directed to me, but still relative to the conversation. This tweet effectively ended the conversation; and I would have continued, but I felt I'd be pushing my luck.

I have no idea why Tak Fujii started following me on Twitter. It could be that I follow Konami and other industry people, and that he's the kind of guy that actually follows fans; or it could be (but highly unlikely) that he's seen my videos or checked out my blog, deciding to follow me. For whatever reason, I am glad that he does follow me on Twitter and that he was kind enough to indulge me in a brief conversation. It greatly improved my mood. What was the conversation about? Hospitals. Don't believe me? Here it is.

I made this image in Twitter format so the conversation begins at the bottom and goes up.


He's quite a character, but then again, so am I :)

Pre-Order Bonuses

Within the past few years, a trend has cropped up in gaming. That being offering bonus SWAG (Souvenirs, Wearables, and Gifts) when you pre-order a video game or related media from either a game retailer or online. Many being something that you will eventually be able to purchase separately if you really must have it. There are a few however, that you can only get this way.

There are different types of pre-order bonuses with games. Sometimes the pre-order is a new quest or adventure for your hero. The most common is an in-game item or costume that is only available with said pre-order. In truth, after a period of time, some of these become available to purchase over the respective networks of the consoles. However, my favorite type is the SWAG. These are physical items that you get when pre-ordering your game - usually t-shirts with an image from the game or the company's logo; but they can range from stickers, posters and bandannas, to concept art books and soundtracks - giving you something to show off at conventions or gatherings of your fellow gamers.

But why are pre-order bonuses so prevalent? Some speculate that it is an incentive to entice more people to buy the game. But is this so? Do more people buy games when there is SWAG involved?

For the most part I would agree - especially with the American consumer. Free anything is always desired no matter what it is. However, does the SWAG go one step further and draw in an entirely different audience who may not have been interested in that game? Non-gaming culture seems to think of all gamers alike - that we all like all types of games. This is not so. There are many casual gamers who only play the big names once in a blue moon because they saw a cool trailer or add in a magazine; there are hardcore gamers who's lives revolve around video game release dates; and there are many levels in between. I myself would fall in the middle but lean toward the hardcore category. I love games, but there are only a few genres that I actually like. The same can be said for many gamers out there.

There are dozens if not hundreds of different types of games, and not every gamer may be interested in them all. Games range from easy children's games to sadistically difficult adult games. There are puzzle games, strategy games, shooter games, sports games, and a wide array of adventure type games - just to name a few. For me, I enjoy games that require you to think - puzzle, strategy, etc. I also enjoy the mindless shooter every now-and-then, as well as adventure games. On the other hand, I'm less likely to find myself playing a fighting game, or a racing game. They just don't appeal to me, likewise with sport games. And I'm sure the avid sport game player won't be seen playing the cerebral mind games. I'm not saying people who play sport games aren't intelligent, I'm simply saying that it may not be their cup of tea.

My point being that it is unlikely that simply adding a pre-order bonus to a game will draw in a new audience. For an example, the new Mortal Kombat game has an in-game pre-order bonus where you can have Scorpion's "Old School" costume from the original game. While that sounds cool, it does not entice me to buy the game. As I said, I don't normally play fighting games; and the pre-order bonus is not enough to get me to start. On the other hand, would a SWAG bonus prompt me to pre-order a game I was already going to buy? For me, that's a difficult question. I prefer to pre-order games to begin with because it guarantees me a copy come release day. This decision is not affected by the fact a game may have a SWAG or in-game bonus. However, when I find out a game has such, I will get it. But what really entices me is whether a game has a limited edition version. Normally those come with SWAG and goodies as well. Combine that with a pre-order bonus and I am in heaven.

So, the final verdict: Do pre-order bonuses increase sales of games? Yes, people are more likely to pre-order games if there is an incentive, and the prospect of getting something free that other people wont have is very appealing to consumers. Do pre-orders expand the game's audience? Possibly, for me not necessarily, but for others it may. Sometimes it's good to try out new games and see if you like them, but that's what Blockbuster and GameFly are for. Don't go wasting nearly $70 of your money for a game you don't know if you'll even like. Of course you can always trade them in at GameStop. Allons-y, and happy gaming, all.

Random Ninja Attack, March 2011, Eric Hesselberg

Top 5 Games and Movies of 2010

Being that the year is coming to a close, I thought I'd take a look back at the video games and movies that I enjoyed over the past year. When it came time to filming, I actually found myself quite sick. So instead of actually recording dialogue, I used the narrator program on my computer to speak for me. Much like the Nostalgia Critic's review of Alone In The Dark. It's not that I can't speak, but the way my voice is, my audio equipment wouldn't have picked it up. But the show must go on, so here's my top 5 games and movies of 2010. Enjoy.





For those of you who want to know what was being said in the Japanese commercial, here's a sum up (note - I don't actually know Japanese fluently, but I do know a few words - fortunately this commercial featured them.)
The suave boy asks the girl to come with him. When there alone he says he wants to ask her something; she says "what?" just then the little boy springs from the cardboard box. And says "I want you to join me" (or something to that effect)
The girl asks "me?"
But the little boy motions to the suave boy.
Suave boy, "me?"
Little boy nods. Then we see them both inside the cardboard box playing MGS:PW This commercial illustrates that the game is co-op by showing the two of them in the box, which is an aspect of the game itself, while still being hilarious like many Japanese commercials.

Like so many other critics and opinionated persons, Beanie has decided to put in his 2 cents and share his favorite movies and video games of 2010. When going to film, Beanie got ill, but was able to use a voice-over program to speak for him. So here's Beanie's Top 5.
Like the list? Disagree with it? Post a comment.

recent games

This is an impromptu attack because I'm bored waiting for a video to load on another site (the spoony experiment){go check it out, hilarious}
anywhay...
Where was I, oh yes. I've been on vacation the last few weeks and apart from hitting the beach I played some of the newer videogame titles that have hit the shelves in the last month. I've only just gotten to them and have been busy with other things so I've only gotten ahold of 4 games. Red Dead Redemption, Metal Gear Solid Peace Walker, Iron Man 2, and Mod Nation Racers.

MNR has been out for a little while but I finally got my hands on it. I haven't beaten yet, but I would like to give a brief rundown on it. For those who don't know. MNR was made by the same team that brought you Little Big Planet. But this is not a mischief filled platformer, it is a racing game. To be more precise, It is a cart (or kart) racing game. Akin to Mario Kart and the like. Which means that not only are you racing on wacky courses with jumps, rings of fire, water hazards, and other nasty squish-you obstacles, but there are weapons and items that you can use on your opponents. These range from hyperboosters, to missiles. Yet there's a limited number of weapons. All in all there are 4(not including the powered up versions) boosters, rockets, lightning, and shock waves. The lower level of these are ok for close combat but the power ups are what you need for long distance destruction. If you're falling behind on the polls, try collecting an item and see what happens. Unfortunately there's no difference in appearance for the items on the track. They all look like purple spheres, But they are necessary in some races. So far the races have had 12 positions. That means that there are 11 other drivers collecting weapons and aiming them at you. Lap 3 usually becomes a frenzy of rockets and shock waves with someone trying to boost through the carnage. Many times I've lost at the finish line because of a salvo launched behind me, but that's also the fun of the game. You never know whether you're going to win are explode at the home stretch.
Along with the fast-paced, trigger-happy tracks, MNR offers a creation system (much like LBP) where you can customize your Mod(character) your Kart, and even custom make your own courses using the exact same engine that the designers used. Hours will be spent tweaking every little detail, or you can just make the track itself and have the game auto populate it. It basically picks the obstacles, and decoration placement at random. Try it out for a spin. You just may enjoy it.
MNR has both online and offline multi-player so you can have fun blowing your friends up and stealing the gold medal(or whatever you get for winning) All in all it is an enjoyable and addicting game.

RDD is a western for the ages. The most expansive and engrossing western game ever. Made by the studio that brought you Grand Theft Auto, you are place in the rough years of the early 20th century, where industry was taking over, and there was less and less need for pioneers and cowboys. You play as John Marsten - a former outlaw who is contracted by the government to take down his former posse. The land is so enormous that you can easily get lost. But not only that, it is beautifully designed. From the variety of landscape and sky effects you can spend hours just gazing into the distance. From dry desert, to the plains, to a snow covered forest, you will have lots to see. But don't get lost in thought, because you never know when a grizzly or a bandito will attack you. The random encounters give a whole new level of gameplay that not many other games offer. The music sounds like its straight from a spaghetti western and really transports you into that world. The dead eye system (which slows down time and allows you to take more accurate shots) works with all weapons and not just the revolver. There's also more variety of weapons than in other western games as well. However the weapon menu does not pause the game, so make sure you're out of the line of fire when you change weapons or you could find yourself laying face up.
Not all random encounters are dangerous, some are just people who want a ride into town or even to reward you for your good deeds. There is an honor system (that is similar to the fame system in infamous) however it does not change the outcome of the game nor the missions, so there's no real incentive to be good. There is a wanted system, much like in GTA4, and the combat is similar as well. And of course like most Rockstar games, you can keep playing after you've beaten it, and with the random encounters, saloons, and even bounty missions there's enough to peak your interest for a long time to come.
But the game is not without faults. Among the top are: cannot swim, duel mode sucks, authorities come way too fast once you've done something wrong(by accident) seriously I walked into a town and everybody and their grama was shooting at me. So I shot back and Bam, I'm the one who get chased by the sherif. By I digress. The dueling system is flawed. You are encouraged to win non-lethally by way of shooting their gun from their hand or their hat off their head; however, there are some duels where that is impossible. I tried several times to win non-lethally, and every time I died. So I had to just pump them fill of lead. I could go on but I've got a few more games to discuss in this attack.

Before I get to the best game I played recently, lets discuss the worst. Iron Man 2.
Now don't get me wrong, I love Iron Man. I love the movie I love Iron man 2 the movie, but I am greatly disappointed in the game. Before I discuss the bad, I will talk about the good.
The game does not follow the movie (yes I find this a good thing) it is an adventure that takes place sometime after the events fo the movie, So You may need some knowledge of the movie (but not much) A few characters from the movie appear in the game, but most of the characters are either new or movie-like versions of comic characters. That's one of the things I love about the game, they take classic icons from the comics and use the designs from the movies to make them fit in that universe. The voices are done by the actors from the movies, so they have the same mannerisms. And you can play as either Iron Man or War Machine. SHIELD Helicarrier!
Now for the bad: I'm going to come out and say this. The designers put no effort into this game. The controls are all over the place. It takes too many buttons to do things and even then, the directional controls with the camera and flight controls are awful. It is difficult to lock on target. While you can press a button and lock, it doesn't always lock on the nearest target, nor does it lock onto targets directly behind. The game seems short, compared to other super hero games. One of my biggest problems is that it is not free-roam. In my opinion super hero games should be free-roam, where you as the hero scour the city and answer the call for help. But no. this is a straight up mission-by-mission game. Now for the biggest problem. The graphics SUCK. Where were the designers. Not at work obviously. I mean this game is not PS3 quality. First gen PS2 maybe.
For years the rift between PS3 and PS2 versions of games has been wide, but this is ridiculous. I'm glad I just rented this game and didn't buy it. I would be totally miffed if I paid $60+ for this piece of trash.
Ok. now don't you all get mad. I do kind of enjoy playing this game. I mean, I'm flying around, cracking skulls as Iron Man or War Machine. Now that's at least something. But they should have left this game in the oven a bit longer.
Now make it free roam, include things from this game like the hellicarrier - make it a fully explorable environment. Fly around and save people from things and bad guys and stuff.

Now I will talk some about the best game I've played recently. MGSPW.
I plan on doing a more extensive review, but heres a short version.
Aside from having the usual problems with PSP games (the control limitations ) Kojima Productions has outdone themselves once again. Pushing the technology to the limits and beyond. This is the most extensive PSP game ever made. Now before you say "that's not that impressive" keep this in mind. A UMD disc is a 1/4 the size of a normal one and no where near has the data storage of a modern bluray disc, yet PW has more content than MGS4. Can you believe that.
While the story is on the short side(compared to the other games) it is engrossing and filled with intrigue. You play as Big Boss in a MGS3 sequel. BB has been busy recruiting a mercenary army when he is contacted by Galvez who wants him to pursue a mysterious military that has invaded their country. On his mission, BB uncovers the new Metal Gear code named Peace Walker.
I'm not going to get too in depth with this, but the game continues after the story mode. There are dozens of side missions and missions where you send troops into battle. With an ever growing tech tree, you can play to your strengths and use the right tool for the right job. If you're a MGS fan, you definitely want to play this. It IS an official game in the series, directed by famed series creator Hideo Kojima. There's soo much in this game, that I could just go on and on, but I'll save that for another time. Needless to say, It was a very enjoyable escape that I have been hard-pressed to put down. Hours of stealth action await gamers who get their sneaky mits on Peace Walker. I strongly advise getting this game, not just for MGS fans but any gamer. It is an experience like no other. So Snake in, play with a friend. Oh, I forgot, the entire game is co-op-able. Is that a word. It is now "co-op-able" copy write Random Ninja Attack (june 26, 2010) You can play every mission in the game in co-op, that is amazing and a first for MGS. I hope it is a light of things to come from the awesome team at Kojima Productions.

Well that's what I've been up to (apart form looking for a job, and dealing with family matters) but expect a few more things to come in the next week, until then, be careful when you walk down that dark path because you never know when you may walk into... a RANDOM NINJA ATTACK!!!

Attack on Gamer

Gamer is probably the best video game movie ever made. (so far) Why? Because it's not based on a video game. It has elements from games and also plays on society's interest and fear of total control. Yet it is not entirely original either.

WARNING! This text review WILL contain spoilers.

In Gamer, technology has advanced so that people can participate in online social and war games not by controlling digital avatars but by controlling living breathing people. Players can make these people do anything that they want. The inventer of the tech and the "games," Ken Castle, has become the richest man in the world. Thousands if not millions of people play his "games"

The two games he has produced are a social sim called Society and a brutal shooter called Slayers. In Society, people control the actions of their "avatars" in whatever sick and twisted ways they desire. They can force these people to rave, take drugs, imbibe alcohol, and even have sex against their will. The "avatars" while in the "game" have no control over their actions - total control is given to the "players" at what I can only expect is quite a sum of money. Total control is achieved with nanites which replace the "avatar's" brain cells and give the "players" a direct link through an IP address. Much like a computer that connects with the internet today. Frankly this sounds very much like SOP (Son's of the Patriots) from Metal Gear Solid 4, but I digress. While in control over the "avatars" the "players" can customize their appearance; which includes: outfits, hair, make-up, accessories, and anything else. Let me just say that these "players" are sick.

Slayers is more recent. In this game, "players" control death row inmates in a game akin to most shooters of today ( ie Army of Two, Gears of War, etc.) where they control and kill living beings using a traditional third person camera. In this "game" the "players" control these convicts for their freedom. IF the convicts can survive 30 matches, they will be freed from their sentence. "Players" can purchase upgrades for their "avatars" such as new weapons and body armor to ensure that their "avatar" survives. But when it comes down to it, its up to the "players" to ensure their "avatar" lives. One such "player" is Simon who controls the "avatar" Kable. Together they are only a few matches away from freedom. It turns out that "Kable" was framed so to speak, and is getting much further than Castle expected. Castle decides to kill Kable by any means necessary.

Not everyone is content with the Control developed by Ken Castle, in fact, there is a resistance cell calling themselves Humanz who are attempting to spread the truth about Castle's Control. Other characters include a talkshow host who is at first skeptical but realizes the truth and decides to help. Wait a minute...

A futuristic world, where convicts play in a game to win their freedom, yet the entire truth is kept from the public, and the one man who may win was framed. The creator of the game wants to kill that man just at the finish line, and there is a resistance group trying to go public with the truth and person working in television helps out. There's just something familiar about this plot. There's another story almost just like that. What was it? >cough< The Running Man.

That's right. Gamer is in fact an updated version of The Running Man which was originally written by Steven King under a pseudonym. The Running Man, for those who don't know, was about a man who was a helicopter pilot sent to prison for the massacre of innocent civilians, which he was framed of. After escaping, he runs into a woman who works in television, who believes the false charges. He is captured again, but this time is given the opportunity to participate in the world's most popular game show called The Running Man - which has criminals running through a maze in an abandoned city while being pursued and promising their freedom upon winning. During his run, he is chased by Stalkers who are trying to kill him and his fellow "contestants" which includes his friends from prison and the woman. They all know that he is innocent, and there is even a resistance group which is trying to show that the media is hiding the truth from the public. When it becomes evident that Ben Richards - the running man, is going to win, the media fake his death. However, Richards, manages to fight his way and confront the media and the creator of the game show, Killian, all the while exposing the truth about his so called crime and what the media has been doing.

Lets juxtapose this with Gamer. Kable - real name Tillman, was part of the early experiments of Castle's nanex control system. Castle controlled Tillman into killing someone, which gave Tillman a spot on death row. Castle then creates a game that grants prisoners their freedom if they win. Tillman does surprisingly well, and Castle sends in people specifically to kill him. A television hostess gets thrown into the fray when she decides to help Tillman and the resistance who are attempting to uncover Castles plot to control the entire world with his nanites. Along the way, they uncover the truth about Tillman's "crime", but not after Castle fakes Tillman's death when he was just seconds away from freedom. Tillman fights his way into Castle's HQ and confronts him, and with the help of the Hostess, reveals the truth to the world. Gamer, like The Running Man, ends with our hero killing the creator and freeing everyone from his control.

There are a few points in Gamer not from The Running Man, such as: the hero having a family on the outside which he is desperately trying to get to. And the whole Take over the world thing (of course) - in The Running Man, the world is already controlled by the media. Also the nanite control thing, which as I said, is more akin to Metal Gear. But it would make sense to get some inspiration from action shooter games. The use of save points, and an awesome heads up display for the "players" gives a sense of a real game that one might play. However, in this game you only get one life. (man that would have been a good tag line for this movie) It's mine now, you can't take it.

Visually, this movie is amazing. Society has bright high chroma colors and gives the feeling of a pop-style game, yet in Slayers the colors are muted, much more subdued and gritty, which really works for shooter games. High-tech and current tech weapons and equipment ad to the feel, as well as the customization of the "avatars"

This movie delves into the disturbing hobbies of gamers, and as a gamer myself, I am sad to say that there are people out their like that. I REALLY wanted the fat guy to get killed. I try to imagine that he did, what with the death squad showing up at his apartment.

Unlike The Running Man, Gamer shows a much more utopian future, but with the same problems. All in all, both movies are amazing, and culturally relevant to the times at which they were released. The Running Man, came at a time where game shows were king and everyone wanted the next awesome show with out-of-this-world gimmicks and outrageous contestants. Gamer was appropriate for its time due to the recent boom in video games.

But I think that both stem from the ideas introduced in one literary classic. That being, George Orwell's 1984. In which a utopian society is ruled by a totalitarian government by way of mass fear and constant monitoring. Everyone is constantly being watched by "Big Brother" and we must all think happy thoughts, or else we will disappear. FOUR FINGERS!

Anyway before I ramble on too long (too late) I must say that Gamer is an excellent retelling of an already great movie. It is The Running Man of this generation.

Power On - Episode 2 "Assassin's Creed II: Master Assassin Editon"

BEANiE returns to find that Francis is still playing dragon age origins. But BEANiE has a surprise, he's just returned from the videogame store with a large package. What could it be? He's going to tell you.

Dragon Age: Origins

BEANiE is nowhere to be found! But all is not lost. Random Ninja arrives at the request of Francis to perform his first ever video attack! What is up on the block today? A game which needs no introduction. In lieu of having his own actual gameplay footage, he show's what little he could find. Dragon Age: Origins is property of Electronic Arts and Bioware. Video was found from internet sources such as IGN.com. What is the Random Ninja's opinion?

This video can also be found on Random Ninja Attack's Youtube channel.

Higher resolution video is on the youtube channel.