The 3DS launch aftermath
Nintendo are responsible for recovering the industry from the great crash of 1983 but, whilst they are one of the greatest gaming companies of all time, they sure do come up with some real shit from time to time. Though it is a very capable piece of hardware in its own right, everything that Nintendo have done with the 3DS since its launch has been ridiculous. The sudden price drop after only a few months, the addition of an ugly second analogue nub attachment that really should have been on the console anyway, and the appalling length of time it took them to come up with some games that were actually worth buying make the 3DS one of the worst hardware launches in recent memory.
SOPA and Protect IP
This particular fail may not be directly game related, but it has the potential to affect everything internet based that we enjoy. Piracy is an evil of the industry that we should be seeking to end, but this is not the way to do it. SOPA and Protect IP are two bills that, if passed, will allow widespread DNS bans on any site with the potential to host online content. That means even such widely used services like Youtube and Facebook could be potential targets for blocking. Sure, it may not directly affect gaming in any way but, with so much news of lesser known and independent titles spreading through the internet, any widespread banning could seriously limit the advertising opportunities open to smaller developers and publishers; a reality that would be bad for our industry as a whole. Let’s just hope it never comes to that.
The Norway Massacre
The mass killings performed by Anders Behring Breivik in Norway this year were a terrible waste of human life, and they are far too heinous a series of acts to deem as a mere “fail.” What came from the incident that should be deemed as a gaming fail though is Breivik’s testimony about his gaming habits. We all know that this was the act of a mentally unbalanced individual who, unfortunately, was likely to have committed his crimes regardless of video games. We all know our industry doesn’t incite violent behaviour in any way as well, but ignorant members of the journalist community have used the Norway attacks to further their ludicrous and unfounded attacks on gaming as a hobby. The crimes were terrible, and it’s a shame that their instigator chose to enjoy a shared hobby with us, but that doesn’t make gaming culture entirely redundant all of a sudden. We can only hope that any anti-gaming feeling caused by these crimes will fade over time.
