Wednesday, February 9, 2011
The Kinect has had a strong showing so far in terms of moving units. Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer revealed at CES that the Kinect had sold eight million units in its first 60 days on sale. While that number ended up being a shipped amount and not a sold amount, the numbers were and still are impressive.
However, the selection of games is much less impressive at this point. While the Kinect is technically a peripheral, it's more like a new console because games have to be designed for it. For this reason, there is almost no reason to play it at this point -- beyond Dance Central and perhaps two or three other titles of varying quality. In fact, at this point the best thing going for the Kinect is the "hacking" community that has discovered some really cool things to do with the Kinect technology.
The unfortunate part of this from Microsoft's standpoint is that they have to keep the momentum going now without marquee titles to back up the "new car" smell of the Kinect. Unfortunately, help may not be on the immediate horizon. After all, even a game like Child of Eden, which I am really looking forward to because anything that is a spiritual successor to Rez immediately gets on my radar, was designed with more than just the Kinect in mind.
If Microsoft can't successfully fill this void, the company may suffer a similar stagnation that Nintendo has had to deal with when it comes to the Wii. In addition, for gamers it just means Kinect owners don't have much to play right now.
Really, this whole situation basically just reminds me of how I treat Apple products. I am in no way one of those Apple fanboy-types, but I don't go out of my way to hate on Apple products either. I wanted an iPhone the moment I saw it, but I didn't hop on board until the 3GS model. I want an iPad, but I won't jump on board until at least the next version comes out.
And I want a Kinect, but I need more reasons to buy it, at least beyond the obvious allure of just having a cool new piece of technology.
For example, the Apple 2G was a perfectly acceptable first-generation phone. But the phone was not even 3G; the App Store was not where it is now; and my current iPhone 4 puts it to shame. In other words, I feel justified having waited.
From a sports gaming standpoint, the Kinect is certainly intriguing, but sports developers seem to have an outlook similar to mine. In the upcoming months, Top Spin won't be Kinect compatible, and neither will Tiger Woods. At the very least, the newest version of Virtua Tennis is going to Kinect it up.
VT aside, this seems like a missed opportunity for sports developers. In the past, I feel like sports games have been forerunners for new gaming technology, but beyond the exercise market and Kinect Sports, the sports games feel a little light so far.
Where are all the "I kicked my flat screen" stories that are similar to the Wii injury incidents?
Now, whether this had more to do with developers getting development kits too late in the development cycle or because publishers were waiting to see how the Kinect would sell before throwing some weight behind the new product is really irrelevant. The simple fact is that we have to wait around twiddling our thumbs while awaiting a real Kinect showcase that may help bring a new sect of games (sports or otherwise) to the forefront.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Preorder for 57.99 and release day delivery (March 8) is only 99 cents.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Monday, January 10, 2011
There's something about capital letters all smushed together that excites the simple minds of America.
There's also something about the life of Cam Newton that gets people a little too fired up.
Put the two together and you have a capital letter collection of life directing inspiration.
Cam Newton isn't a person. He's a symbol. Like Prince, only we know this guys real name.
Newton has turned into a product, a "stands-for" in American culture.
He's the symbol for the one that got away with _____ . And in our American thirst for justice, or insatiable love for "reality judge shows" and criminal dramas; we have to go out of our way to find Newton with his hand in the cookie jar because we know he got away with something.
He's an outlaw. A wolf in sheep's clothing. He's fake. He puts on a front.
It drives us wild that he acts so innocent when we all know he's as guilty as sin.
It doesn't matter what Cam does anymore. We're going to follow him and wait for him to step into the trap. Then we're gonna pull the lever.
The latest (http://sportsbybrooks.com/did-barkle...iss-my-a-29401) is a sign of things to come. It's a sign of retribution run rampad in American culture.
Newton is now a witch and we're all hunting. We're going to catch him in the act if it's the last thing we do.
But the reality of it is, we're turning him into a victim. The more he's wrongly accused, the more people feel sorry for him.
If this nonsense keeps up, it won't even be worth it if he is eventually bagged for being the cheater everyone swears he is.
It's time to move on from the Cam Newton brand.
It's time to start acting sweet and innocent again.
After all, it's what CNWD.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Click here to read this on my website with properly formatted pictures. If you prefer to read this in PDF, you can click here. Please take your time to read this as I would love to hear thoughts from everyone. Thanks!
Preface
Now with this concept of ‘simulation sports games’ on our hands these days, why not role play not only as an athlete, but as an entrepreneur. But now, change it up and you don’t have to role play in some aspects. What if you actually were managing a business in a way that paralleled reality with fantasy. What if success in fantasy land meant you were progressive with your own business intellect – learning business strategies that can be applied to real life scenarios? Learning how to draft contracts, send off proposals, accounting principals that save businesses money, investing tips and strategies, real estate management. That’s where my game concept plays on in the post below.
This project is the result of months of work, combined with years of my experiences in the sports management and marketing field. While at the University of Miami, I entered this business plan into the school wide entrepreneur competition. There were over 500 contestants, and I finished less than 5 points away from being the in the final two.
This work was derived from unconscious inspiration, unwavering dedication in my work and studies, and genuine love for doing what I do. Some ideas in this out line may be considered unorthodox; I consider them visionary and daring outlooks. This outline represents my pursuit to break into the game industry and change its landscape at the same time. Enjoy.
-SBartlett
Sports Management Educational Software©
Steven Bartlett
Bartlett Sports Group, LLC
Sports Business and Sim City Meets Higher Education
1.0 Product Ownership: The company is named Bartlett Sports Group, LLC. It was created and registered by Steven R. Bartlett in 2008. Steven Bartlett, 24, graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Education with a degree in Sport Administration from the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida in May 2009.
Since then, Steven has worked with International Management Group in sports marketing & entertainment on various projects including marketing and sponsorships with the Sony Ericsson Open 2010. Currently, Steven is a staff writer & game reviewer for OperationSports.com – dedicated to sports gaming. His experience writing for OperationSports.com as a regular contributor has given him the chance to learn about the market and needs of sport-game consumers; this includes one-on-one interviews with game developers on Fifa Soccer, NBA Jam, Tiger Woods PGA Tour Golf, Madden NFL 11, and more. Steven was recently accepted to Suffolk University Law School in 2010.
All rights are reserved for the following, but not limited to, the product description, theory, and foundation for the framework of an educational computer program solely to Steven R. Bartlett.
2.0 Products and Services: Business Management Edu Software Description
Our product is a form of educational software geared towards business and sport administration curriculums within places of higher education. The software’s purpose is to give consumers and students alike an overview of managing a sports franchise, from top to bottom. It places users in control of, but not limited to, managing finances, facilities, real estate rental and leasing, ticketing, management, marketing (sponsorships and promotions), contracting with other agencies while dealing with social, economic, and legal aspects of running a pro sports franchise.
Key Areas:
Accounting, Business Law: business organizations and personal property, commercial and creditor rights, legal and social aspects of business regulation, contract law, real estate transaction legal aspects, international business law, intellectual property law; Finances: financial management, investments, securities, wealth management, stocks, bonds, options, futures, trading, buying, selling, insurance, and loans; Facilities, human resources; Real Estate: rental and leasing, mortgaging, appraisals; Ticketing; Marketing: sponsorships and promotions, market analysis, international marketing, marketing; Management: operations, business models, business ethics, systems analysis, entrepreneurial science, organizational behavior; International Finance & Marketing, and Economics.
The key component of the product is our Sophisticated Solutions using business school curriculums for the software. Each course here at the University of Miami in the School of Business has certain lessons that must be taught. We will utilize these lesson plans to create goals within the software. Using definitions, formulas, and lessons from smaller college book publishers that have yet to venture in the multimedia segment, the course load will be unique to the institution’s syllabuses. These smaller publishing firms that wish to expand provide excellent partnership opportunities. The software will conceptualize the lesson plans learned in-class.
The software is to be built to stream and track all data across each segment of the business and rate your success equip with rankings and more. Essentially, you will be graded and receive feedback on your ability to achieve goals formulated from lesson plans and curriculums from respective universities.
Our unprecedented techniques allow students to build, manage and learn how all the aspects of their curriculum tie together. By applying the material learned in class onto digitally created scenarios, students have a chance to obtain hands on experience in ‘real world’ situations that will be beneficial for their overall understanding of the coursework. An all-encompassing multimedia experience that can be used with multiple texts is an indispensable asset to any educational establishment.
Revolutionize Education & Sports Gaming: Customization
At the same time, the sports in-game will be playable in the form of Sony Playstation 3 graphics and game engines. Groundbreaking software such as MLB ’10 The Show game play can be used as examples as how the sports in-game will play like. Users can score the game winning three against one another, and then run the front office from any department across the sports franchise they are in control of. Think: NFL Head Coach and Sim City meets a college curriculum.
If necessary, the sports game engines and graphics (on field) may be downgraded to last-generation systems. This will cut down on memory, and still allow users to enjoy the sports titles while customizing virtually everything on the field and in-stadium right down to the stadium sponsored drinks on the sidelines with considerable detail.
The facilities are to be constructed to the highest of graphical capabilities with, but not limited to, the Sony Playstation 3 computer as shown in the video-presentation. Our software theoretically may be developed for Mac and Windows based personal computers as well, but there are significant advantages using the Sony Playstation 3 computer with its graphical & processing prowess, networking capabilities, and memory storage at a substantially more economical price than high-end desktop personal computers.
Design your team's stadium
Further, integrating an online content management systems (CMS), users will be able to discuss with peers problems they wish to solve within the lessons. This can be done with the power of the Sony Playstation 3, and it’s universal serial bus (USB) ports and the Linux based Operating System custom built for the Sony Playstation 3 equip with word processing and web browsing. Our software will add to these capabilities.
Manage the facility and real estate with lesson plans from the textbooks
In-game CMS features will allow for: conversations and real-time editing of documents, strategies, and even share each other’s in-game interface together in discussion rooms. The main menu will include a web browser so students can feel as though they are on their personal computer’s desktop while the software runs. It will be a hub for news allowing for RSS feeds, instant messaging, and private message inboxes.
Other online and save features will include: friend lists, class enrollment list, course information, and document sharing including favorites sharing of websites and resources, threaded (archived) conversations for real-time edit, import & exporting features to personal computers, mobile updates, import graphics for advertising from jpeg files, e-mail & instant messaging system that transmits live characters as they are typed.
Our software will include, and not limited to any of the following aspects of sport and business to be customized:
Finance: hard salary caps, soft caps, revenue sharing, and other collective bargaining agreement structures from various professional sports leagues, TV contracts, stadium sponsorships, financing from various banks, credit unions, city bonds, etc.
Assign stadium sponsors, draft contracts with in-game word processor; review with professors.
Marketing: team marketing through newspaper, online, magazine, radio, TV, and event promotions; player marketing through newspaper, online, magazine, radio, TV, and event promotions
Facility Management: ticket revenue, parking revenue, field costs, surface and materials, premium seating, adding seating, vendor deals, weight room, aerobic room, rehab facilities, pools, spas, training rooms, MRI rooms, transportation for the team via bus or plane
Genereate foottraffic with business strategies and concepts found in lesson plans
Roster Management: lineups, injuries, IR, training assignments, coaches/staff, player progression, free agency, sign and release players, player draft, scouting, arbitration, player options, outright assignments, player contract limits, waivers, team options, and other CBA & contract structures.
For example, the software will engage users to draft authentic contractual agreements with sponsors that the real-life sports business industry demands, covering all legal, social, and economical aspects in fine detail within the contract. Once drafted, the contract (business deal) can be executed in the software, with results displayed via in stadium signage in strategic locations, PA announcements during live-games, or video board commercials just to name a few examples.
Also, users may start building a franchise from scratch starting with a geographical layout of land with a vast choice of facilities to choose from. Each facility type will possess certain attributes and advantages. For example, retractable roofs increase revenues to maximize events year round, but are much bigger to finance. Users will be given the option to zoom in on targeted gates of the venue to view the foot traffic, and workers at work.
3.0 Strategy and Competitive Advantages: At Bartlett L.L.C., we hope to create a sense of comfort and reliability for the consumers and also the institutions with which we deal with.
Strategy: An interactive teaching medium, such as our product, is bound to open doors both in and out of the classroom for its users and consumers. Moreover, each of our products comes with an institution- specific packages that cater specifically to the respective school we partner with through the use of school curricula, textbooks used, and also representation of colors, logos, mascots among other details. Our software looks to capitalize on the strengths of the current multimedia educational tools out there in a market segment that estimated to increase by 7.9% or $362 million by 2010.
Competitive Advantages: Creating individualized learning programs within our software with only the best technology available will help develop a breakthrough product that is unmatched in terms of flexibility and customization. Using definitions, formulas, and charts from respective book publishers, the course load will be present unique to the institution’s syllabuses.
Competitors such as Pearson’s My Lab, McGraw-Hill’s Math Zone, ThompsonNow have established online products, among other book publishing companies who also have established their ability to customize textbooks for specific institutions and professors. They have even customized some multimedia products such as online coursework and assignments. None of these companies have developed an interactive teaching medium such as ours that can simulate real-life business management linked specifically to lesson plans and course work. Our unsurpassed, beautiful graphics will make our product both visually appealing, entertaining, and a valuable learning tool at the same time. The goal is to make students feel comfortable while learning – not pressured to complete assignments on time.
Campus Technology Environment:What has given rise to multimedia content in general and integrated learning systmes in particular is the confluence of technology and instructional needs on campuses. Colleges are increasing their investment in hardware, software, training and related services. In 2006, Market Data Retrieval projected that technology spending would increase 35% that academic year to almost $7 billion from the year before. (Simba, 2006)
Maturing of the Consumer Base
According to the Entertainment Software Association, the average age of a gamer is 29 years old. This means that the average gamer has more disposable income than he had historically, when gamers were typically children. Additionally, with more adults playing games, they will spend more years in the target demographic. This shift in demographics has led to an expansion of the market. Each of the trends listed above has led to growth in the overall video game market. Further expansion is likely in the coming years as new platforms for gaming such as cellular phones emerge. The growth in the industry has also led to the consolidation detailed below as leading companies strive to control more of the profit in the industry. In particular, the market for console games has undergone some structural changes. (VC)
Although there are no direct products in competition due to the fact that our product is so specialized, we currently have limited competitors. However, we anticipate a rise in competition once our product surfaces. Many companies such as Microsoft and Macintosh will begin developing a similar type of softwares. There will be competition with software companies, like educational resources such as Sports Business Journal, and Kaplan educational tools. Potential competition exists within all sport resources and sport products. There are many softwares and games that will compete with our product, but none of them maintain the distinct ability to fuse important aspects of business and sports into one software.
4.0 Need or Problem Addressed: Sales and Distribution Methods for Higher Education Needs: The key areas where electronic media meets the needs of professors and students, particularly those with different learning styles, are homework assignment and help, automatic grading, assessments, and classroom response systems to guide in-class teaching and learning.
As digitally enhanced education continues to grow, the need for multimedia experiences linked to textbooks is in higher demand for institutions of higher education. Since more universities are asking for compilation style textbooks, a combination of chapters from several textbooks, schools are relying less on individual authors and more on a precise and exact fit for the curriculums’ needs. Bartlett Sports Group looks to capitalize on these needs with our sophisticated solutions that have never been used before in an interactive teaching medium.
Trends: The University of Phoenix demanded flexibility in curriculum programs, essentially dictating what it would buy- offering to purchase only parts of textbooks, and because it is the largest university, publisher complied.
According to corporate executives at HarperCollins Publishers, publishers are now inputting all of their titles digitally, allowing professors to go through different books and create and assemble exact texts they desire. Often, because of the very specific nature that the texts adhere to, multimedia equipment that covers all the necessary topics is difficult to come across. In speaking with the head of books sales at York University in Canada, it became clear that an all-encompassing multimedia experience that can be used with multiple texts is an indispensable asset to any educational establishment.
Socio-Cultural Needs: Enrollment in schools is increasing globally, accessibility and the global divide is lessening. As computers become a staple in day-to-day life, the need for educational software is increasing. Total enrollment in Higher Education by Enrollment Status has grown from 15,313 million to 17,916 million in 2007.
5.0 Target Markets: There are 3 main targets for our software: colleges and universities, sports consumers, software consumers.
The college publishing market is the 4th-largest segment in the Book Industry, generating $4.58 billion in net sales worldwide in 2006 (up 2% since 2005) in an industry of $37.65 billion. The Multimedia Materials segment earned $267.2 million in 2006 and $290.8 million in 2007. We are targeting this segment as it has steadliy grown with regards to Business, Accounting, and Sport Administration majors with colleges and universities. As our company grows, we will be able to diversify our products and target different segments in the college market. There are aproximately 18 million students in the U.S. We look to target these students on and off campus.
In addition, this product will be sold to the entertainment segment of the software consumption market which holds 20% of its prospective market. Our product appeals but it is not limited to: males in the age of 16-35. Also targeted will be the sports consumers. This demographic is intertwined with the software and technology consumers.We look to target espn.com users and viewers, yahoosports.com, fantasy sports players, EA Sports fans and sports videogame consumers.
6.0 Competitors:Houghton Mifflin Co.:Private, College Publishing Revenue, 2007: $242,483,970
Jones and Bartlett: Private, Revenue, 2007: $84,208,925, 140 employees
McGraw-Hill Education: Public NYSE, Symbol: MHP, Higher Edu Revenue, 2007P: $620,684,000
Blackboard: Public NASDAQ, Symbol: BBBB, Revenue 2007P: $231,000,000
eCollege: Public NASDAQ, Symbol: ECLG, Revenue 2007P: $63,500,000, 540 employees
Although there are no direct products in competition due to the fact that our product is so specialized, we currently have many competitors from different markets.We anticipate a rise in competition once our product surfaces. Many companies could begin developing a similar type of softwares. There will be competition with educational resource companies such as McGraw- Hill, Pearson, ThomsonNow products, and Kaplan educational tools. There are many softwares that will compete with our product, but none of them maintain the distinct ability to fuse important aspects of business and sports into one software an utilize it as an educational tool. Potential competition exists within all sport consumer products as well.
Research Proposal:
We at Bartlett Sports Group want to make sure that our target market has not fully matured. Sport products is on the rise and so is technology. It is our job to make sure we create a unique product to meet the new needs and wants of the sport consumers. Based on research of VC, we believe that the core hardware, game and software markets are fairly mature. They require extensive capital investment and strong technological knowledge in order for success. The best markets for investment are those that provide valuable new products and services to software developers, publishers and gamers themselves. These are the areas that will build out the industry as it undergoes significant growth, in which our product will be a part of.
7.0 Key Approach to Marketing: Our approach to marketing is very dynamic. We look to market into various markets as we stated above in section 5, taking a new approach to each market. We look to target the higher education markets, specifically multimedia tools used in Education (Sport Adminstration) 4.6%, Accounting 2.9%, Econonomics 2.6%, Management 2.5%, Business 2%, Marketing 1.6%. Overall, they account for 16.2% or aprox. $46.98 million of the multimedia sector. begin. Also, sports consumers and software and technology users are targeted. Each one of our three main targets has their own unique marketing tactics designed due to a different makeup of demographics for each target.
We will utilize online and offline marketing activation. We will use tactics with networking sites as, Facebook, MySpace and others, which connect sport lovers and consumers alike. We also hope to promote heavily through textbook companies that can offer our product as an addition to the compilation text they are providing. We look to market with ESPN, Yahoo!, Facebook, OperationSports.com, Sports Illustrated, and technology magazines.
A demo CD will be distributed to educational institutions worldwide, which will be included in the yearly software update packages that colleges receive in order to generate interest for our product and leave the consumer wanting more.
8.0 Feasibility of the plan: 1.Develop the software in house or by a 3rd party. 2. During the pre-sales process, we will test the software with school adminstrators, and set up our marketing plan. 3. We will develop a distribution method through different portals – primarily through the internet and internal or external factory distribution partners. 4. Proceeds go to distribution parteners and the developers, Bartlett Sports Group.
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:
Techonolgy driven, growing.
Unique, innovative niche product.
Segmented.
Higher Education & Sports Business fields are vast and growing; more demand for educational training materials/tools.
Gain first hand experience in these fields with the use of the product.
We are a new company that is capable of adapting to meet consumer needs.
Full leverage of product and product extension.
Weaknesses:
Untapped market.
Venturing into risky business.
Expensive.
Glitches in system (new product).
Opportunity:
Profitable Industry.
The company has the potential to merge with a bigger and better established firm.
Potential of financial backing with educational comapnies – can improve credibility.
If successful, possibility to venture into other markets (different segments, new products).
Threats:
Credible companies may produce copy-cat products, in which they have the financial means to produce them faster and more efficiently.
Software could be looked at negatively as an expense not needed. If consumer is unsatisfied with product.
The field of software and games has already been established.
9.0 Key Management Members: Steven Bartlett, 24. Working for IMG & the Sony Ericsson Open along with University of Miami Athletics Dept. for the last three years, Steven understands the functions of athletic event management from the bottom up. His experience writing for OperationSports.com as a regular contributer has given him the chance to learn about the market and the needs of sport-game consumers. Steven brings distinct qualities unlike any other leader – his tireless work ethic has been proven many times; After overcoming illness and heart conditions in his college career, he is still achieving while being a role model in his community with Big Brothers of MA.
Robert Tufo, 24, formally of BBH-Boston, is currently working in the hedge fund sector. Robert earned his undergraduate degree in just 3 years followed by his Masters of Finance in 2009 from Bently University proving his commitment to academic excellence and this is commendable. Robert has intangible experience in key financial areas that will bring quality leadership to his duties. With his hands on experience, tremendous motivation and phenomenal ability to accomplish goals, Robert is the best young professional that Bentley University has to offer.
Brian Bartlett, 28, has helped run the Strike One Sports Complex in Danvers, MA over the past few years. With his knowledge of sport and natural financial consulting abilities, he brings many qualities to BSG. His strongest being his gift to manage the personalites of our management team with his mature and balanced perspective. With so much desire and passion in BSG, Brian keeps the goal in focus for all. He is the true cornerstone to BSG.
10.0 Projected Revenue and Net Income: Our primary goal is to capture .5% or $1.45 million of the mutlimedia sector in college and textbook publishing in our first year of selling. This sector accounts aproximately $290 million in the U.S. The projected growth rate from 2006-2010 is 7.9%.
The specific disciplines under multimedia we will target are Education (sport adminstration) 4.6%, Accounting 2.9%, Econonomics 2.6%, Management 2.5%, Business 2%, Marketing 1.6%. Overall, they account for 16.2% or aprox. $46.98 million of the multimedia sector. Our specific and measurable goal is to capture 3% of this market segement which has yet to be developed, which is aprox. $1.45 million as stated above. Introducing a truly innovative and groundbreaking software for this segment, that has yet to show any signs of maturing untill the past two years, could capture a strong portion of the market share. The more specialized to this segment our software becomes, the stronger BSG becomes to establish great credibility to develop distinct products.
Estimating a cost of $2 million to develop our product, which includes overhead, distribution and development costs, it would take 7,250 units sold at $200 each (pricing for universities) to reach our market share for each of the first two years (aprox. $2.9 million) to break even and cover all initial expenses. This is a very realistic and measurable goal based on the investments and implementation of other education companies in multimedia. We expect a big return on investment by aprox five to seven years in.
Using ThomsonNow as an example, Thomson initially shipped 1.5 million units to 2,300 schools with some 1.3 million students trained on the product in 100 different courses. In the first six weeks of the fall 2006 term, one million students had signed onto the product and used it. Overall, the number of students registered for online coursework went up 29% from 2005 to 2006. Thomson has recently partnered with a technology company to develop open-source platforms for their products. BSG hopes to achieve similar partenerships as this trend continues to grow.
Also, Sport is projected to soon to be a $324 billion industry and the software industry is steadily growing in profits of $119 billion industry. In order to tap these markets, BSG will have to diversify its products and pricing.
BSG will develop smaller, less expensive packaged versions from $80-$150 of our software for these typical consumers comparable to the pricing of Windows Vista Basic, Home Business, and Ultimate, and Office for Students, Small Business, and Office Suite pricing strategies.
Works Cited
(2007 April 4). Reliance on technology, consumer influence were driving force at 7th annual resort management conference. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from Hospitality News – Industry News Web site: http://www.hospitalitynet.org/news/4...+trends+%2busa
(2008 March 3). Software Publishing in the US. IBIS World Industry Report, 51121, Retrieved June 10, 2008
Brown, R., & Washton, R. (2005). The US Men’s Market: Examining the attitudes, buying habits and lifestyles of the elusive adult male consumer. Retrieved June 10, 2008
Decker, Frank (2004). Rationale, Causes, Politics and Trends in Online Education. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from Trends Article Web site: http://educatoronline.org/trendsarticle.htm
Gellman-Danley, B, & Fetzner, M (1998). Asking the Really Tough Questions: Policy Issues for Distance Learning. Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration, 1, Retrieved June 10, 2008, from http://www.westga.edu/~distance/danley11.html.
Mickey, K, Meaney, K, & Agostino, D College Publishing Market Forecast 2007-2008. Retrieved June 10, 2008
Shah, N, & Haigh, C (2005). The Video Game Industry: An industry analysis, from a VC Perspective. Retrieved June 10, 2008
Social Trends 2005. (2005). In National Statistics [Web]. Retrieved June 10, 2008, from http://www.statistics.gov.uk/cci/nugget.asp?id=1045
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Monday, January 3, 2011
It's an alarming ongoing trend, but it's also perfectly understandable. Simply put, new games are exciting. It's fun to talk about them, and it's even more fun to speculate about how good or bad an upcoming game is going to be. You see similar trends here at Operation Sports. You can scope out someone talking about their predictions for 2011, or you can simply go to the forums and witness the popularity of anything that is considered a "preview" for the next big sports game.
At the same time, when a new year rolls around it's also very popular to look back at the year that was and review what the biggest stories and games were from that year. In a way it's absolutely idiosyncratic. We're all so eager to move on to the next big game, yet we make a big deal out of the end of year awards and take the time to look back on everything we played too little or simply ignored?
Really?
Regardless, that's the way it is. Operation Sports will be doing end of year awards here in the coming weeks, and I'm sure each one of the editors or writers will have a moment where he realizes how little he played some title or just completely ignored another.
But I don't want to talk about our end of year awards in this space. What I want to do here is cobble these two conflicting forces together. I want to look back on the year that was, but I just want to look back at some "smaller" games, stories or moments. There will be no talk of Call of Duty or NBA 2K11 ahead.
Video Games Come Out All Year?
This might have been the most consistent year of game releases ever. Do you realize that Mass Effect 2 came out in January? Whether that particular decision was by design or because of a late delay, it was refreshing to see a game of that magnitude released right after the holidays.
Bayonetta and Darksiders were delivered to us during the first week of January. In addition a new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and BioShock came out in February, as well as the PS3-exclusive Heavy Rain. The summer months were still lighter than they probably should have been, but overall it was nice to be able to play big games all year long.
This game came out in January!?
Since we are so preconditioned to assume that every big release is going to come out during the final couple months of the year, the 2010 release schedule even made the fall release season seem almost light and disappointing. While it seems like next fall will mark the return of "too many games too little time" for gamers everywhere, hopefully the rest of 2011 will be as consistent as 2010.
Ultimate Team Invades More EA Sports Games
I have already talked about my love for NHL 11 Ultimate Team in the past (I believe I own over 1,600 players at this point). Plus, this is hardly a small story in the grand scheme of things. After all, when it comes to sports gaming and gaming as a whole, microtransactions are one of the biggest stories of the year.
Weekends have been destroyed by this mode.
Still, I don't want Ultimate Team as an idea to be overlooked. I love online team-based modes and their various forms in most sports games, but those modes rely on other individuals. Ultimate Team is unique in that it's a cure-all mode for people like me. It's something you can do on your own while online, yet you don't have to simply choose from the same 30 or so authentic teams during every head-to-head online match. Instead you have a team that is always changing. For people who can never stick with a franchise or just have no interest in playing the CPU, this is a perfect mode for them.
So from a selfish standpoint, it's good to see Ultimate Team succeeding and "infecting" all of the other EA Sports titles because it's easily my most-played mode this year.
Enslaved Out Uncharts "Uncharted"
Yeah, I made up a word for an awful pun, deal with it.
I really don't think any other series has received as much universal praise as Uncharted has during this generation of consoles. And, for some reason, the game seems to resonate even more with sports gaming fans. There is an unequivocal love affair with Uncharted here at Operation Sports; it's not even surprising anymore to see someone preface what they're about to write about Uncharted by saying, "I usually just play sports games but..."
All of that praise is certainly deserved, too. Uncharted has set the gold standard for cut scenes in video games. (I am not a believer in cut scenes in video games, but the ones in Uncharted are so well done that even I have no desire to skip them to get back to the action.) Nathan Drake as portrayed by Nolan North does Indiana Jones proud, and everything that might be "borrowed" from the Indiana Jones series still works in the Uncharted series.
The magic of the half-tuck is undeniable.
Enslaved hits on a lot of the same high notes as Uncharted. The graphics are not on the same level as Uncharted, and the overall gameplay is not either, but Enslaved sets the new gold standard on a presentation front. With the help of Andy Serkis, The characters on screen never look out of place, and there is a palpable sense of believable emotion that is generally hard to get across in a video game.
And when combining the richness of the characters with the soundtrack and cut scenes, Enslaved hits all the high points.
Perhaps the best argument I can make for Enslaved is that at the end of the game, the developers basically just let Andy Serkis take it home and make the finale of the game work. Without Serkis and the overall story of Enslaved, this game is nothing more than an average title with played out game mechanics. (However, I do think the fact that most of the game is an escort mission -- something that is generally despised in gaming -- and that element never gets in the way is an amazing accomplishment.)
The elements beyond the gameplay are top notch, and they are the reason I will remember this title more than any other from 2010.
There is not a character alive that has delivered the word "Okay" in a more convincing fashion.
The Rise and Fall and Rise of THQ
Speaking purely about the quality of the games, it was certainly a strange year for THQ. There was plenty of goodwill built up after the first UFC Undisputed was released in 2009, but much of that went out the window after version two came out this year. There was also a good amount of hype for Smackdown, but again, the promises did not quite live up to the end result.
So what should have been a great year for these two marque franchises ended up as just average years.
And from an in-game perspective, neither game was "rising" to end the year. The Nexus DLC for Smackdown was unimpressive (it gets some slack for a first attempt at worthwhile DLC), and UFC is simply stagnant at this point.
So the real reason I think the teams behind these games are rising again is because of the community focus. THQ has a renewed focus on the community, and the community is reciprocating by helping THQ out by filling out surveys for both UFC Undisputed and Smackdown.
When Undisputed comes back in 2012, and as Smackdown continues to try and find itself in 2011, I have to believe the renewed focus on the community will only help to improve these games for the communities they are being made for in the first place.
Too Many Racing Games
Blur, Split Second and ModNation Racers. These three games epitomize the point of this list.
All three of these titles came out during a seven-day window of racing-game overkill. And all three were mostly forgotten by the masses. I love the "holy crap" moments in Split Second; Blur hit that Mario Kart note just right for some; and ModNation Racers was customizable and inviting. Still, it would be hard to find anyone who spent a sizable chunk of time with all three games.
If you played Blur, then you probably missed out on ModNation Racers or Split Second.
Maybe that's a good thing, but Blur led to the possible downfall of Bizarre Creations; Black Rock Studios has once again not received the recognition (or sales) it deserves (Black Rock Studios also developed Pure), and a strong first-party title from Sony was not met with the same amount of attention as something like LittleBigPlanet.
If these had been spread out throughout the year, maybe the results are different. Either way almost every gamer missed out on a very good racing game because of the released-and-forgotten cycle mixed with just a dash of release date bungling.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
I decided to become part of that world, and began going down to a playground near my grandparents' apartment after school. Toot would watch me on the court untill well after dark as I threw the ball with two hands at first, then developed an awkward jump shot, a crossover dribble, absorbed in the same solitary moves hour after hour.
...gym rats and has-beens, would teach me an attitude that didn't just have to do with the sport. That respect came from what you did and not who your daddy was. That you could talk stuff to rattle an oppononent, but that you should shut the hell up if you couldn't back it up. That you didn't let anyone sneak up behind you to see emotions- like hurt or fear- you didn't want them to see.
And something else, too, something nobody talked about: a way of being together when the game was tight and the sweat broke and the best players stopped worrying about their points and the worst players got swept up in the moment and the score only mattered because that's how you sustained the trance. In the middle of which you might make a move or a pass that surprised even you, so that even the guy guarding you had to smile, as if to say, "Damn..."
...I was living out a caricature of a male adolescence, itself a caricature of swaggering American manhood. Yet at a time when boys aren't supposed to want to follow their fathers' tired footsteps, when the imperatives of harvest or work in the factory aren't supposed to dictate identity, so that how to live is bought off the rack or found in magazines, the principal difference between me and the most of the man-boys around me -- the surfers, the football players, the would-be rock-and-roll guitarists -- resided in the limited number of options at my disposal.
Each of us chose a costume, armor against uncertainty."
- President Obama
Dreams from My Father
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
While most would argue the opposite, and rightfully so, it's very possible that the suspension of two of Iowa's key offensive pieces might actually make the Hawkeyes more dangerous against the Tigers in tonight's Inisght.com Bowl.
Iowa will be without their all-time leading receiver Derrell Johnson-Koulianos and leading rusher Adam Robinson.
DJK was suspended indefinitely following drug charges while Robinson is out for violating team rules, although Robinson may be gone for good as well after being arrested on drug charges of his own last night.
On the surface, the loss of both players sounds disastrous as the Hawkeyes prepare to take on the #12 Missouri Tigers.
Dig a little deeper, and you might see the formula for a better Iowa team than was displayed throughout the entire regular season.
In Robinson's place, true freshman Marcus Coker will step in and lead the rushing attack. Robinson may have led the way statistically this year on the ground for Iowa, but so would anyone who was given the most touches.
Robinson is not a powerful runner by any means. His chicken legs and stiff running style make for an easy target and few broken tackles or second-effort yardage.
Coker, on the other hand, looks to be one of the better backs the Hawkeyes have seen in recent memory. The problem: he hasn't been given a real chance to showcase his abilities.
He has strong legs, great vision, agility, and finishes runs. The young runner needs to cut down on the fumbles, but that comes with experience.
The tougher sell might be how Iowa can be better without DJK hauling in Ricky Stanzi's passes. The major difference won't be in the quality of receiver, instead the change in play will be attributed to quarterback Ricky Stanzi being forced to go through his progressions.
With DJK, Stanzi had a nasty habit of locking on pre-snap and chucking it deep for an Al-Davis-post-route-turned-hail-mary.
Realistically, Stanzi is the same guy who doesn't read a defense anymore than Hellen Keller enjoys the New York Times. But wishful thinking is that Stanzi will somehow become a better quarterback when he has to be picky about when and where to throw it.
It doesn't look pretty on paper for Iowa's offense, but games aren't played on paper. They're played inside televisions.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The NCAA has ruled that a handful of Ohio State football players will be suspended from play to start the 2011 season due to obtaining improper benefits a couple of years ago.
The violations relate to the selling of merchandise such as awards, championship rings, autographed memorabilia, jerseys, etc.
NCAA officials stated that the players will not have to sit out this year's Sugar Bowl against Arkansas because the players were not properly educated on the rules.
In other words, they were unaware of the rules. They were ignorant of the rules.
Ignorance. The same reasoning the NCAA gave for not punishing Cam Newton in light of the pay-for-play scandal involving his father.
Granted it's not exactly the same situation, but close enough.
Perhaps the NCAA doesn't even realize the correlation it just created.
Two nearly identical explanations. Two completely opposite reactions.
Another smooth move by the National Contradiction Athletic Association.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
NY Giants punter Matt Dodge has done exactly the opposite of his namesake; he's stood up in the heat brought on by the wild finish that saw the Philadelphia Eagles mount a historic 4th quarter comeback over the Giants.
Who knew that a shanked punt was worth 28 points in the final eight minutes of a football game?
That's the weight that has been put on Matt Dodge. And he's standing up and taking it...all of it.
A man whose job it is to kick a ball to a player, whose job is to return the ball, did just that.
Obviously, Giants head coach Tom Coughlin was distraut after the final play. His team melted down, and he melted down.
With the entire nation and world watching, he berated punter Matt Dodge and put the weight of the entire loss on the punter's shoulders ... and the world took the bait.
The media took the bait and the people have followed.
Everyone has forgotten about the countless mistakes made on every offensive or defensive play throughout the game -- especially in the final quarter -- that could have made a difference.
And we've all forgotten about the other ten guys whose job it is to cover the punt.
If we're going to start giving punter's blame for this type of meltdown, then we need to start giving them MVP trophies.
I can see the headline now:
"Matt Dodge named NFL Player of the Week after 48.2 net punt yard average leads Giants to 400 rushing yards and a 49-3 victory over the Bengals"
Sure, Dodge failed his assigment which was to punt the ball out of bounds. But that's all he did. He forced the other ten guys in coverage to execute their jobs. They didn't. Just like the Giants didn't in the entire 4th quarter.
If the Giants tackle DeSean Jackson and force overtime, does Coughlin and the rest of the world get up in arms about it?
No way.
And that's the issue. The reactive nature of evaluating athletes, plays, coaches, teams on the most recent outcome.
It wasn't that Matt Dodge shanked the punt, it was that the shanked punt resulted in a touchdown. And more importantly, it was that Matt Dodge made the final "visible" mistake of the game.
Not the most important. The last, most visible screw up.
The media or average person has no idea what mistakes were made in every basic play throughout the game or the 4th quarter by the Eagles or Giants. They can't focus on that. It's beyond comprehension.
But people love to react. They want to let things out. They need to blame something and they need to do it now!
And Tom Coughlin knows that. He knows that people can focus on one man kicking a ball. He realizes that people understand that when he berates on a player on national television after a game that it transfers all the blame from him as the coach to the punter.
Ya, I said the punter.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
The details of how the playoff system would be implemented are still in the dark, but it's big news for those of us ready for a change in the way FBS crowns their champion.
Mav's owner Mark Cuban is taking up the cause on behalf of all Americans in favor of change to the BCS.
It's about time someone with some serious cash and a presence in the media did this.
Maybe we'll see change in our lifetime?
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
While Chris Sanner is rocking the Wii side of things, I will be on the PS3 side doing the same. My game of choice is also EA Sports Active 2, but I will not be supplementing it with a second workout game like Chris.
I will also not blog as much as Chris, but I will be taking part in EA Active 2's nine-week program while trying to stick to a sound diet. The nine-week program includes four workouts a week that last about 30 minutes on the "medium" intensity.
I will post actual impressions after my first week with the program, so this is more an introduction than anything.
To be clear, I started yesterday and did the first workout. I will probably stick with the medium intensity for a bit, but I suspect I will bump it up to "high" intensity before the end of things because I do have a relatively active lifestyle.
If you own EA Sports Active 2 and are on the PS3 side of things, you can join the Operation Sports group by checking out the group info below.
Group Name: OpSports
Group Password: operation
And feel free to blog about your own experiences with any workout game. Don't forget the best blog will win some fantastic prizes.
Monday, December 13, 2010
I am currently in the process of writing the NFS Hot Pursuit review that many of you OSers are waiting to read, and I must admit defeat.
When I heard this game had minimal customization options (I use minimal in case some options pop up out of nowhere) my immediate reaction was to vomit. I love the NFS franchise. Unrealistic racing is the way to go in video games, and making my car look however and drive however I want is a big deal.
So I do admit I went into this game with very low expectations, but to my surprise I have been greeted and treated with one of the best NFS games in a long time.
Choosing between racing and pursuing is not a tough choice at all. Though racing is pretty fun, but nothing is better than busting a race of seven cars in under four minutes.
Having weapons such as spike strips and helicopters at your disposal just gets me all giddy inside.
Damn this game is fun. Keep a look out for the full review of Need For Speed: Hot Pursuit early next week!
Sunday, December 12, 2010
http://www.offthebag.com/ncaa/2010-b...layoff-hybrid/
Monday, November 29, 2010
Originally posted shortly after Chizik's hiring in Auburn.
I'm not into the whole "I told you so" routine and if ever there was a time this would be it, but I do think it's a great lesson in the importance of looking at all the available evidence before making a judgment.
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