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Outside the White Box

More evidently now than ever before, games are more than just entertainment. Outside the White Box takes a look at the things affecting Xbox gamers on a day to day basis. Every week will feature stories revolving around a selected theme; from advances in technology to political perspective and the study of games as an art form, you’ll find it all right here.

Got something to say to me? You can always comment on my articles or send me an email at DickWard@XboxFocus.com. Your thoughts may be featured in future columns to come.

Column Day: Tuesday

Featured Column

Columns List

• Developers

  by Dick Ward July 8th 2008 7:34 PM CDT0 Comments

  The recent photograph of what appeared to be a 360 dev kit on the desk of Hideo Kojima got the Xbox fanbase extremely excited about possibilities of seeing Metal Gear on the 360. Recent reports indicate that this was in fact a normal 360, but the subject of having a formerly exclusive (sans remakes) developer work on a 360 game is just too exciting to leave without some thought. What formerly exclusive, or nearly exclusive, developers could make a huge impact on the Xbox 360?
  
  Hideo Kojima
  
  Of course, the recent speculation has all been surrounding Hideo Kojima, creator of the acclaimed Metal Gear series. As unlikely as it is that Kojima would jump ship given some of the things he’s said regarding the 360 and of course, the implied insult in MGS 4, one cannot help but wonder what he could bring to the system and what the 360 could do for him.
• Playbox Wii63?

  by Dick Ward June 25th 2008 11:36 PM CDT0 Comments

  Could Sony be working on a 360? With the recent rumor (credit goes to EGM’s Quartermann) that Microsoft will be allowing 3rd party manufacturers make Xbox 360 hardware, it’s certainly a possibility. Keep in mind this is all speculation, but the idea behind this makes a lot of sense for Microsoft as well as other hardware companies.
  
  Microsoft is a company that is truly built on the strength of its software, and it’s easy to see why. Microsoft Game Studios is incredibly successful, and has a ridiculously good 2008 lineup. On the other hand, console sales are a bit of a wash. Consoles rarely, if ever, are money makers for the companies putting them out. In fact, in 2005, Microsoft was losing about $125 on each Xbox sold. While licensing and creating games is certainly a great source of income, hardware sales aren’t.
  
  It hardly makes sense to limit hardware creation to just one company, especially if others can do it better, and get more units in households. The “Red Ring of Death” fiasco that forced the company to extend Xbox 360 warranties to a full three years is proof enough that Microsoft might not be the best for the job in the first place. Taking a look at the three other gaming platforms reveals a great benefit for themselves and for Microsoft were this to take place.
• Next Gen My Ass

  by Dick Ward June 21st 2008 5:31 PM CDT3 Comments

  I keep hearing that we’re playing next generation games on next generation consoles. I see the graphics, and they’re amazing. I hear the Dolby 5.1, 7.1, or whatever we’re up to now, and am amazed at the things this generation of consoles can do. I hear about innovations in the industry to bring an amazing amount of convenience to gamers. I don’t even have to leave the house to get a new demo, trailer, movie, or even a full game. I can get it all while sitting on my couch. Every developer, platform holder, and magazine says that gaming is on the cutting edge of technology. Why, if consoles are so advanced, don’t they all come with hard drives? Why can’t I save my game when I want to? Why then, when I want to play at a friend’s house, does it feel like we’ve taken a huge generational leap back?
  
  
  It seems that the obsession with graphics and gameplay have left the essentials in the dust. Developers are forgetting the fundamentals, simple things that, when they go right, go unnoticed. It may seem like nothing, but a bad save system can truly break a game.
• Ten Achievement Commandments

  by Dick Ward June 14th 2008 1:16 PM CDT14 Comments

  It’s time to face facts. No matter how much players may protest their hatred of achievements, there’s a small part of everyone that warms up inside when they do something really clever and are rewarded for it. The Xbox 360’s achievements is a very cool way to deliver these rewards to players that lets them share their conquests and progress with other gamers. However, the inconsistency between games is a bit astounding. Fight Night Round 3 was the easiest 1000 points I ever got, while Marvel Ultimate Alliance still holds points hostage from me, and I know there’s no way I’ll ever complete the list for Gears of War. In order to help get this all straightened out, I’ve created The Ten Commandments of Xbox 360 Achievements.
• Sex and the 360

  by Dick Ward June 8th 2008 11:55 PM CDT3 Comments

  

  The most appalling thing to feature in a game, according to a poll on What They Play, isn’t rampant use of the word fuck, or even a graphically severed human head; it’s sex between a man and a woman.

  The game industry is one that has, since its humble beginnings, always been one to strive for realism. The realism of a game’s look is always important, and the well established fact is that whoever first conquers the uncanny valley will have a place in gaming history. The realism of authentic military weapons, their response times, reload times, and the way that the bullets pierce a human target is of utmost importance for today’s strategic shooters. Why then, in an industry so obsessed with reality, is sex so uncommon?
  
  The act of sexual intercourse is as human as birth and death, and just as important. The propagation of the species and our very survival as human beings depends on it. Everyone living today is the result of one sexual act or another, yet the act is seen as something not to be talked about. Despite books, movies, and even music being able to tackle the subject, videogames still walk with blinders, pretending that it’s not there.
• Top Ten Girlfriend Games

  by Dick Ward June 5th 2008 4:16 PM CDT161 Comments

  Perhaps Brodie Bruce put it best when he said “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned for Sega”. Indeed, there is a social stigma that goes along with being a gamer that seems to be at its worst when dealing with the fairer sex. It’s clear that there are female gamers out there, but unfortunately the majority of them just don’t have a spot in their life for a 360. When dating, the videogame topic is one that’s often avoided until absolutely necessary. Girls often turn up their noses at the thought of playing a videogame, and refuse flat out to have any part of it. So with that in mind, I present to you...

  The Top Ten 360 Games for your Girlfriend

  10. Viva Pinata – A great game for serious gamers with a cute and cuddly disguise, this game may have been tailor made for the good old bait and switch tactic. Even the most reticent girlfriend will at least admit that a Bunnycomb is pretty adorable. The upcoming Trouble in Paradise makes this even more appealing, with a newly added cooperative mode.

  9. Dead or Alive 4 – Sure, the ladies of Dead or Alive are horribly stereotyped sex objects. That doesn’t mean your girlfriend won’t be thrilled when she kicks the crap out of your Bayman with her Ayane. Hotseat through the story mode once so she can get the feel of the game and then jump into some competition. With a pretty even spread of male and female characters to play, a Battle of the Sexes tournament can be a lot of fun.
  
  8. The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion – Taking on the role of a personally created character can be enough to get anyone hooked.  Customization and the ability to make choices that affect the game are a big selling point, and a rich and immersive story adds to what may be seen as an unlikely choice for a way to introduce your girlfriend to the 360.
• Xbox LIVE's Dark Side

  by Dick Ward May 28th 2008 10:25 PM CDT8 Comments

  “The Xbox headset is the stupidest thing you can hold to your head other than a shotgun barrel”. These are the words of Shaun Elliot, formerly of Games for Windows magazine. I don’t mean to call him out, I’m actually a big fan of his writing, and his sentiment really got me thinking about the subject of gamer perception and how it relates to Xbox Live. How are Xbox players seen by the outside world? What steps, good and bad, are being taken to fix up the image? What can we do?
  
  Anyone who has borne witness to the media coverage of games in the last few years will have noticed a not so surprising trend. Rather than cover the new technology and games in a positive light, television news is oh so eager to point out any negative aspect they can find. The Nintendo DS was the target a few years ago, showing how a sex offender could easily capture a child using a Nintendo DS. The PSP was next, as the same amazing news people exposed its ability to play pornographic movies. Of course, always looking for a new target, the focus in recent months seems to be the Xbox 360.
  
  This won’t come as a surprise to many readers, though it apparently did to WSLS-10 news in Roanoke, the news team that recently covered this. The language on Xbox Live tends to be a bit foul, and many of the people cursing on Live are children. No matter what game, or in what setting, there seems to be a constant torrent of insulting language, racist speech, and of course, the homophobic banter that seems ever present in nearly every online game.
  
  Of course the coverage is one sided, not citing that the average game player is actually 33 and instead relying on shots of children screaming “Die fag!” over their microphone. It doesn’t go to mention that the user who curses can be blocked, reported, and even banned for their behavior. The most glaring error of all is that the coverage seems to blame the Xbox for the child swearing without taking other considerations into account.
• The Outside Perception of Gamers

  by Dick Ward May 26th 2008 8:16 PM CDT3 Comments

  As gamers we often fail to see the bigger picture, the world outside of gaming. Since we take our games so seriously and play them so passionately, we tend to completely write off people that don’t game, and with good reason. It’s difficult to talk to them, they don’t understand why our Shotgun Spree was so great, they get creeped out when we talk about “Little Sisters”, and don’t even try telling them about your recent accomplishment of being a Master Romancer for Flutterscotches. We know they think we’re weird, but some people honest to god believe that we’re stone cold killers in training.
  
  This week, we’ll be exploring that perception and where it comes from, a deeper look into concerns with Xbox Live, and of course, contributions, questions and musings from you for the final segment on Saturday.
  
  Of course, as with anything, we must start at the source. Whether the reason is spite, fear, or just complete ignorance of what videogames are and what they do, there is an entire generation of people who honestly believe that videogames are dangerous. From politicians to 24 hour “news” stations and even real news sources, there is a whole lot of misinformation out there.
• Don't fear the Casual Gamer

  by Dick Ward May 23rd 2008 11:14 PM CDT1 Comments

  There’s a lot out people out there trying to ruin a good time by regulating or even banning videogames. Whether it’s religious organizations decrying the heresy of having churches in shooters, pseudo scientists using fake data to push their personal beliefs or political figures using videogame regulation as talking point for their campaigns, games are under constant attack. Why is it, then, that the hardcore 360 player feels he has so much more to fear from the success of the Wii?

  Today I explore the casual gamer, raise a few questions, and quash a few myths.

  
• The Hardcore Xbox Gamer

  by Dick Ward May 21st 2008 9:28 PM CDT0 Comments

  Welcome to Outside the Box, the newest column on Xbox Focus. This week, I’ll be taking an in depth look at the Hardcore Xbox Gamer. I’ll be sharing some personal anecdotes as well as stories from around the globe about hardcore gamers ranging from the hilarious to the depressing, and taking a look at the effect of the casual game scene on the core gamer. Before we can move on though, it’s important to know just who the hardcore gamer is.
  
  Hardcore gamers are typically self proclaimed, and always on the border of obsessive when it comes to games. They come in all shapes and sizes, all ages, colors and creeds, but have one thing in common – a deep love for gaming. Just as there is no genre that defines all games, there is no type of hardcore gamer that defines them all. For simplification, I’ve divided them into a few archetypes. Bear in mind, no one archetype will define a player - most gamers are a mix between the three.

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