HOLIDAYS07: The Guide!

The Guide! The holidays are very near, and BGL has got you covered! We’re covering the best games out there on PSP and the consoles, the best accessories to pick up this season, which system is right for you, the PSP basics for newbies, and what to expect for 2008 in case you’re going to hold off on new purchases. Here’s what’s ahead:

• The Guide to Everything PSP :. New to the PSP world? We get you ready for the holiday season by breaking down everything you NEED to know about the PSP and SONY.
• The PSP Must-Haves :. The games you must own for the PSP and where to find them!
• The LocoRoco Top Five :. Are you a true LocoRoco fan? Here’s what you need for the holiday season to become the ultimate LocoRoco fanatic.
• The Accessories Top Five :. The must-own accessories for the PSP this fall and why you need them.
• The Consoles :. BGL gives you our honest opinion on which console to buy and which purchases to make in terms of software and accessories.
• 2008 and Beyond :. Want to hold off on PSP purchases? Here’s what to expect for 2008.

UPDATE: Didn’t see this coming? The Holiday Guide kicks off a few days early not to conflict with Veterans Day.
UPDATE: Added New Links! (November 17th, 2007; November 25th, 2007)

INSIGHT: Dude, Those PSP Ads Still Suck!

INSIGHT: It’s become apparent that SONY has begun wooing the teenage crowd and 12-34 male demographic in their Dude, Get Your Own campaign–a painful to watch, cheap-ass way to attract these males. Luckily, a recent influx of action, adventure, and FPS-games have really helped PSP sales domestically and internationally, so SONY doesn’t particularly have so much riding on the ads. Even still, seeing their recent success with the American PS3 ads, why can’t they add class and style (BTW, style is not a B-rated football player like Michael Strahan) to PSP ads. They’ve surely improved by showing at least some gameplay footage, but they have to go one step further and create an advertisement that people will love or at least not make fun of. They need an ad that shows off gameplay of multiple games that can appeal to multiple crowds, so people don’t listen to PSP-stereotypes (like so many when they claim that the PSP only has 3 or 4 must-have titles). Now that the PSP is a real competitor and showing its strength by selling well, it’s time for the ads to improve.

ATC: SONY’s Fighting the Fight (At Least)

All Things Considered is a weekly series, providing the ranting and raving podium for the eager founder and blogger of Get Loco, locoroco. It will cover topics ranging from the gaming industry as a whole to its players.

Here at Beyond Get Loco, we were pretty sure this is the Year of the PSP. 2007’s gotta be. God of War: Chains of Olympus, WipEout Pulse, Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron, and a couple of other exclusives are coming in addition to a new PSP, and at least for our friends in Europe, a video download service. With everything–including sales–looking up, it’s easy to say that we were right. We’ve had our doubts in between, but critics have nothing on those who truly say that this year will show immense success for SONY’s little machine that can: SONY’s fighting the fight, and doing it extraordinarily.

Previewrama2 Wrap-Up

This week has been a boatload of serious kickass fun! Previewrama2 went off with a bang, and in five days, you’ve seen five previews loaded with screenies, analysis, gameplay videos and trailers, and rumorage.

• Previewrama2: Sonic Rivals 2
• Previewrama2: Echochrome
• Previewrama2: Patapon
• Previewrama2: Castlevania: The Dracula X Chronicles
• Previewrama2: Star Wars Battlefront: Renegade Squadron (Readers Choice)
• Where Are They Now?: God of War: Chains of Olympus

AND THAT’S NOT IT! Continuing throughout next week, we have our remaining coverage of the big events with…

• Where Are They Now?: WipEout Pulse
• Where Are They Now?: LocoRoco2
• Where Are They Now?: Crisis Core
• Where Are They Now?: The Elder Scrolls Travels: Oblivion
• “The Previewrama2 Aftermath”: Podcast #19
• Reviewrama Deats

Thanks a bunch and see you all then!

E307: When Bloggers Blog Press Conferences [Part One]

Tonight, at 8:30PM PDT (that means 10:30PM for central timers and 11:30PM for easterners), Microsoft will hold their annual E3 conference, to be followed at 9:00AM PDT by Nintendo’s conference and 11:30AM PDT with SONY’s conference. Bloggers are traditionally glued to their computer screens when big events happen–and I’m not just talking gaming bloggers. Tech bloggers blog CES, Automotive bloggers blog the Detroit Auto Show, television bloggers blog the TCA conferences and Upfront presentations, movie bloggers blog big premieres, and so on and so forth. So, I’m actually considering blogging at least SONY’s big press conference. How should I do it? When 2:30PM eastern time rolls around (yes, my local time) tomorrow, I’ll pull out a nice carton of Breyer’s vanilla ice cream, or perhaps go the normal route: a large container of salted Planters peanuts accompanied by raspberry apple Vitamin Water and possibly some whip cream just for the fun of it and watch the conferences unfold. I might need some extra hands to stuff a bunch of Planters in my mouth all the while furiously typing 100 words a minute to get everything ready. And also hands to turn on the television to G4 (yes, the first and ONLY time I will watch the dreaded non-gaming gaming channel) to see what Brian and Morgan of the PSP-hating gaming show X-Play have to say about all of everyone’s press conferences. And maybe a few extra hands to get “Print Screens” of the big conferences. Okay, so I’m really exaggerating, but blogging press conferences is surely one big hassle. But I do it for the blog. I do it for the blog, yes. My motivation is the smiles on your faces seeing me blog this whole thing, or at least the smile on my face after I accomplish the whole schnaz. And 2 more podcasts.

ATC: EA Attempts to Monopolize Gaming Industry

 All Things Considered is a weekly series, providing the ranting and raving podium for the eager founder and blogger of Get Loco, locoroco. It will cover topics ranging from the gaming industry as a whole to its players.

Here’s the disclaimer before people misunderstand what I’m trying to say: I don’t work for Activision or Ubisoft, and I do actually enjoy a decent EA-game  once in a while. What I am saying is at EA, known as Electronic Arts, once was the third-party company that could, has changed a lot. It has gone from the friendly and understanding small business that was creating new projects and great software easily and quickly to the egotistical giant monster that is waiting to attack our industry.

Analysis: Year of the PSP?

Analysis
Year of the PSP?

My recent opinion-articles have all been based around criticizing SONY for the things they don’t get right–this is not as to say that I have recently begun hating the PSP or dissing on it because SONY won’t release any LocoRoco 2 information; I love my PSP more than any other gaming device I have or I’ve ever wanted. It has been the best piece of entertainment for me on subway rides, road trips, airplane rides, and late nights. This year, 2007, finally seems to be shaping up. There are numerous high-profile releases for the second-half of the year, and games are finally getting the Infrastructure/online gameplay they deserve. Could this be the year of the PSP?

Loco On is a Go!

Here it is! My first of many PSPGN-contributions started this week with my take on the PSP’s both bright and troubling future. This is going to be very interesting. I hope you like. Stick around: we will have a column every week!

Analysis: PSP Advertising Campaign #26,709

Analysis

PSP Advertising Campaign #26,709

SONY’s PSP advertising campaigns have always been smart. </sarcasm> Yeah, small animals talking about a PSP and making sexual references while looking at little game footage. A woman leaving her boyfriend a memory stick for him to find. And now this. Some asshole down at SONY combined DELL’s ill-fated “Dude, you’re getting a Dell” commercials with Cheez-Its’ semi-hilarious “Get Your Own Box” motto, thus creating “Dude, get your own”. Did they shoot this guy yet?

Analysis: More Digital Distribution, SONY

Analysis
More Digital Distribution, SONY
******

Recently, I’ve gotten to thinking a bit more about next-generation consoles and the future of gaming. I think it might be because I’ve gotten into both genres–I now am in the next-generation with a Nintendo Wii and in the current-generation with my PSP. In the future of gaming, what will separate current-generation from next-generation besides just a few graphics-tweaking? Features and Content, I believe.