Today is


"...I know they're trying to be original, but from what I have seen it looks like another FPS...."





Two Cents: February 2005 Edition
    [March 15, 2005]

Editors Note: We are extremely sorry for the huge delay for this article. Numerous technical difficulties caused delays. We sound like Nintendo now don't we?

The following article is an editorial opinion and is just an opinion. The article does not represent the view of the site nor all of its staff. 

The videogame industry is as fluid as the ocean. Every month there is something that is announced or brought to the attention of the public that become important and change the dynamic of the industry. Most of the time those announcements have either a positive or negative impact on the industry and with that there are those whom have strong opinions on those announcements. Like many of you I have an opinion and here you can hear mine. I will talk about the big news for the month of January 2005 from a Nintendo prospective, for these are my 2 cents. February is a month synonymous with romance and valentines. Was there a lot to love about February 2005? Depends on how you look at.

Ubisoft Wants a Piece of the Sports Pie
 RELATED STORIES: Ubisoft Wants to Be in the "Game" Too

Ubisoft announced that it will be developing a series of sports titles, making its debut as a publisher of sports videogames. Its entrance will be propelled by several worldwide licensing agreements and acquisitions. Ubisoft has signed an exclusive license with Vijay Singh, the No. 1 ranked golfer in the world, to produce a Vijay Singh-titled golf game. 

Ubisoft also announced that it has acquired the technology, tools and source code shipped in Microsoft Game Studios team sports games, including NHL Rivals (hockey), NFL Fever (football), NBA Inside Drive (basketball) and MLB Inside Pitch (baseball).

Well looks like we have another company trying to get into the sports arena. First it was Take-Two and now Ubisoft. One has to wonder why, the NFL and MLB licenses are both used up and those two are the biggest licenses in the United States. So it appears that Ubisoft is going after other sports. The first being golf with Vijay Singh as the cover boy. Ubisoft is obviously trying to take the crown away from the EA Sports' Tiger Woods games. That is going to be tough because those are some critically acclaimed games. One thing of the story is vague, in fact its not mentioned at all is when these games are coming out. Will we see them by the end of the year? Hard to say. We may find out in May at E3.

Another part of the story is that Ubisoft has acquired technology from Microsoft. Which isn't that surprising since the closeness of the two companies thanks to the Tom Clancy games. What is interesting that the technology is for all the sports that Microsoft Game Studios developed games for so that may mean that Ubisoft intends on creating some original sports games without the league players or teams. Now if they can create great original games... more power to them. I do know that for a fact that they will have to try really hard to innovate the genre. And sometimes when it comes to innovation, it doesn't always translate well into sales.

On a related note to this story is that fact that Electronic Arts it buying up shares of the company. Now we all know that big corporations love the fact that they could if they tried hard enough to buy the competition. EA was doing just that with Ubisoft, now they have an even bigger incentive because Ubisoft is going to challenge EA Sports in the sports genre. Could Ubisoft shooting itself in the foot with this? Maybe... only time will tell.

Anticipated Releases for the Month of February

January may have been a light month. Don't worry February was there to fulfill your gaming needs. We got to head back to the Lylat System with our favorite fox and his furry friends. We got to play some hoops on the court with Mario and we got to hang out with Wario and his company. That wasn't all, we also go to hit some homeruns and create some fatalities. 

StarFox Assault (GCN)
Up to four players can compete in head-to-head combat as animal characters like Fox McCloud, Slippy Toad, Peppy Hare and Falco Lombardi. In single-player mode, Fox uses the help of his colleagues to thwart an infestation of mechanized insects and biomechanical beings. 

NBA Street V3 (GCN)
The third chapter in the multi-platinum-selling NBA STREET series expands on the fast-paced and larger-than-life 3-on-3 basketball gameplay that has made the franchise a hit. The all-new Trick Stick and interactive Game Breaker control elevates the experience to new heights with unmistakable style, while NBA STREET V3 also is packed with highly-detailed authentic street courts, an all-new slam dunk contest, and new Court Creator.

With the Nintendo All-Stars -- Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach -- making their debut in Nintendo GameCube versions of the game, and an explosive soundtrack pushing the action, NBA STREET V3 provides something for everyone. Grammy-nominated Beastie Boys are unlockable players who can step into the game and hit the courts alongside and against the NBA's best, while their track "An Open Letter To NYC" headlines NBA STREET V3's soundtrack.

WarioWare: Touched! (NDS)
WarioWare: Touched! is the Nintendo DS game you've been waiting for; 9-Volt, Kat, Ana, Dr. Crygor, Jimmy, Mona and, of course, Wario are back. Wario may not always be nice, but he knows how to have a good time. WarioWare: Touched! provides hours of dual-screen fun, as players zip through more than 180 mini-games.

WarioWare: Touched! builds on the success of the wildly popular WarioWare series. But this version offers completely new ways to play. Most mini games will have players tapping, dragging or rubbing the touch screen, while others require them to blow into the built-in microphone. Half the fun is figuring out exactly what each mini game requires the player to do.

MVP Baseball 2005 (GCN)
Opening Day has come early as Electronic Arts announced today that MVP Baseball 2005 has shipped to retailers nationwide and is available in stores under the EA SPORTS brand. Last year, MVP Baseball 2004 was the #1 selling baseball video game with more than one million copies sold.

Featuring the EA SPORTS Hitter’s Eye, MVP Baseball 2005 gives players unprecedented control of their at-bat including the power to read the pitch and the ability to move in the batter’s box. An all-new visual indicator allows hitters to pick up the pitch the moment it leaves the pitcher’s hand. In addition, players can use the Pitch/Swing Analysis to review the timing and location of their swings and adjust accordingly.

Mortal Kombat: Deception (GCN)
Building on the success of its award-winning Mortal Kombat franchise, Mortal Kombat: Deception for the Nintendo GameCube features exclusive GameCube content, Mortal Kombat: Deception allows fans to play as and against Mortal Kombat legendary characters, Goro (Boss creature from Mortal Kombat) and Shao Kahn (Final Boss in Mortal Kombat II and Mortal Kombat 3).

Additionally, Mortal Kombat: Deception for GameCube includes each character's multiple fatalities, interactive backgrounds and extensive game modes responsible for making Mortal Kombat: Deception one of the fastest-selling games in Midway's company history, with more than one million units shipped to date.

So that's it for the month of February. See you next month as we tackle the news of the month of the beginning of spring.