So Peter Moore got grilled by 1UP.

Being a marketer, I usually don't enjoy seeing fellow advocates getting grilled by the press they serve, but in Peter's instance too much spinning can lead to a revolution.

My take on marketing is to provide products demanded by the market. The actual marketing per se is simply communicating a valid solution to a consumer need has become available, or continues to be available. It's all supply and demand economics, my friend.

If the market demands a means of transportation from the home to the airport, you fill the need if you are able to supply. Unfortunately, Microsoft has been unable to deliver. Am I upset about that? No. My father is broken-hearted. He was hoping for an X360. . . yeah, my father. But he is a man who appreciates good interactive media. No doubt he is allured by the promise of great sound. . .but I digress.

If the masses call for sugary soda they want to drink en masse to rot their soft teeth. . . I guess you provide if you are able. But to market in an effort to drive sales. . . for the sake of driving sales. that is something else entirely!

Analysis indicates that is where the X360 comes in. Microsoft wants to sell more games, and drive sales of software. Thus, they introduce a new-fangled doodad to replace their perfectly integrated console. What we end up with is an exercise in driving consumer demand, and locking up another market.

Such a sad affair. I had hoped Microsoft would make an intelligent step into the next generation rather than forcing their hand, and that of the other console manufacturers into an all-out war. In war, nobody wins.

Even as great as playing different MGS games on different platforms is, knowing the controls is better. Getting used to the different controls takes some time.

The opening sequence for MGS2 is rather impressive. My wife was even impressed by the cinematic quality of the opening. Hopefully the gameplay is as easy.

We watched Fantastic Four instead of me being able to play, but that is okay. Time together is important.

I had the opportunity to Beta test Syphon Filter for the PSP. Unfortunately, it seems I won't be participating in the Beta. I don't feel disappointed because I am a Syphon Filter fan (which I am not), I am disappointed because I am not getting any love for my PSP.

Sony is providing some great schwag for being in their Advisory Panel. Just last week I received a ball cap with the PlayStation logo stitched in. I don't normally wear such things, but now I have to say I like it. . . and wear it frequently.

I guess that is the only way Sony is getting mindshare from me.

UPDATE: Rumor has it someone leaked the link for the Beta. That would explain how the sign-ups closed before someo of us got to register.

Go wife!

She is getting to be quite the mother lately. It is good to have a great wife. Especially one who will watch MGS with me.

Recently I have exhumed some of my old games. Normally this would be a time of enjoyment, and rejoicing at my prodigal games being found once more. In this instance, it has left me further from my goal: grood taste.

No, no my taste is great, though slightly impaired by a lack of smell.I'm talking about the Good Taste badge awarded by gamespot.com.

I was at an impressive 8.4, but I figured being honest about what is in my collection was better than working some voodoo on the numbers. I can say I own the 9+ GTA games and thus boost my score. . . or I can admit I own Insurrection: Campaigns for Starcraft

It was a difficult decision, but in the end I was rewarded for my honesty. You see, Insurrection brought me one game closer to that Serious Collector award. That is a small comfort.

Good taste is like . . . good sight, you are either born with it, or you get professional help to correct your impairment. I'd like to think I have the gift of discernment, but I know I am only a step away from game counseling. Someone is going to try to convince me I can't live without GTA3. I'm going to be told repeatedly that Mario Party is not the pinnacle of multiplayer experiences, and that the Halo Triple Pack really is the best game ever, and deserves a 10.0.

At the end of the day, only my newfound appreciation for the Metal Gear Solid series can help me *not* sleep at night. What an amazing story. Seriously, that was the best non-movie I have played in a long time. The twists, turns, and revelations (though they were not new to me when I played) really combined for an exciting, edge-of-your-seat experience.

During a few instances my wife was biting her nails she was so anxious. She watched a bit of the game with me. Too bad we can't go through the cutscenes like a movie (Subsistence). I am anxious to play the game again, only faster and more intense(ly).

. . . and yet, I still have Substance to sink my teeth into. . . but I want to see the other ending. . . and then get the tuxedo. . . and. .  and. . .

You see? One step away from therapy. No game is worth this.

. . . even if it is rich.

It used to be every month the guys got together for game night while the ladies went off to do their kraftwerk. Now ladies night has been scaled back to once a quarter . . . so husbands and fathers beware!

The host is armed with an X360, while the rest of us bring our tired old XBOX and favorite games to play online and all the time. That means tonight. . . I've got game. I think it is ironic the two months I had Live we didn't have game night. So disappointing.

Maybe my wife will bring me home a families are forever placard. . .

After a long break I have returned with my Journey (the arcade game) review. It was just one of those games I had to review.

I remember it sitting near the doorway to the arcade in the old Mission Viejo Mall. So many good arcade games were there.

I hope my long-time fan reputation does not show through. Though they were clearly corporate rock, Journey is/was/has been a guilty musical pleasure. Since Steve Perry left it has been nothing. I don't care what they say about au jerie, he doesn't have the range, control, or drama that Perry had.

Just because this review has been posted prior to my others does not mean I am not working on them. I am anxious to get my Drakan:Order of the Flame review finalized and posted. The sheer volume of demands are daunting. Then again, I need the writing practice, and analytical exercise that comes with writing a review.

One of these days I hope to do more. . . in a professional, not just cathartic capacity.

Three things tonight: gaming ignominy, traveling without moving, and strategy guides for the busy/obsessive.

I make it no secret I have been enjoying Metal Gear Solid: The Twin Snakes on my Gamecube. The story is great! The controls take some getting used to when I have been primarily a run-and-gun/RPG junkie for the last 15+ years. The concept of sneaking is not only a preferred ideological gameplay device, but also ingeniously executed in MGS.

Confession: when I first played MGS in 1998 on my then roommate's PS1, I couldn't get out of the first room. Yeah, that was the ignominious part. My best friend tried too with similar results.

That day turned me off to the MGS gameplay. Unfortunately I never got into the politically and tactically charged story. My coworker back in 2000 never ceased raving about the game. I can understand why. I unfortunately hit a brik wall in MGS:TTS this last week. I got bogged down by the Tank boss.

I shared my troubles with another friend. After some friendly ribbing, he reminded me that my busy schedule justified dipping into a strategy guide. Bob Colayco's guide to Twin Snakes was the perfect blend of just enough tactical advice, and discover-for-yourself walking. It could have been a placebo effect, but after downloading the guide I was able to get by the tank impediment. Thanks Bob.

Funny how a little thing could cause big consternation. At no time do I ever think of myself as a professional ineteractive media aficianado. I think my tastes are the only thing really supernal, but I digress. I don't rank in the tops of any online ladders, I don't finish Super Mario 64 in 15 minutes, and I certainly don't have the longest list of finished games. However, it is a great entertainment escape.

School and work have been giving me a run for my money, but gaming is always the emotional release I look for. My wife has noticed what my previous romances have previously picked up on: when times get tough my game consumption goes through the roof. Thankfully my wife has been playing with me the last few days. Her enjoyment of Super Monkey Ball is not only surprising but a large deposit in our emotional bank account!

The dedication of my wife is really something that means a lot to me. She is a great friend, a dear companion, and a lot of fun to play with! Sometimes I wonder what life would have been like had I married some uber gamer chick, but then I remember what  great catch I have. My wife takes me places mentally and physically I am not accustomed to going. That is a big asset. A good companion should not only dip into the things you enjoy but also broaden your horizons. My wife does that, and I am grateful. I hope every game-playing adolescent in the gamespot community grows up to find a mature, competent, and diversified companion. It makes games, life and love more rewarding.

Some may speculate I write stuff like this for the sole benefit of my wife, who reads this blog space, but it is part carthisis and part honor to my sassy, sensible, sensitive, and stunning wife.

Just like I told my daughter today, I don't work for others, I work for my wife and daughter. Despite some stunting moments in playing, I still believe I would do well in the game industry. Hard work, dedication, and innovation more than make up for any perceived skill liabilities. Just keep that in mind.

Last night was my night to choose what activity we would do for date night. My choice? Gamecube.

The titles are not offensive to my wife's sensibilities. We played Super Monkey Ball, Puyo Pop Fever, but passed on Super Mario Strikers. Out of all of them, my wife loved Monkey Ball. She did really well, and enjoyed the diversity of the mini games.

As the night wore on and my Lumines skills made Puyo Pop daunting for her, we closed with a bang. She rocked me in the last match! I was surprised, shocked even. Without the fever option on, she really narrowed the playing field, particularly since I didn't have very much trash to send back to her, and no unholy perfect fever chains to drop on her.

For me, I chocked it up as a success.