I live in a small town outside of Little Rock, Arkansas; basically, Podunk USA.  My town has been growing recently, and we got an EB Games store this past Christmas.  It's nice, but they usually get the new games about one-to-two days after they come out.  Still, not bad for a small-town video game store.

I tell you this so you know the basis of my statement.  The Madden video game franchise has evolved far beyond a mere game.  This franchise is now officially a cultural phenomenon.  It's grown to nationwide tournaments, celebrity showdowns, even a TV show on ESPN.  Something even more amazing; Sony gets nearly 10 percent of its annual revenue on Madden games.  10 percent!!!  And here in Podunk, USA, my EB Games is having a midnight release party for Madden '07.  What's more amazing, I know at least 50 people will be there.  They're holding a community tournament just one week after release!  Many, many other games are better, more developed, more highly produced.  Games like Halo and Mario Bros. are single-handedly responsible for the popularity of XBOX and Nintendo, respectively.  But no game can transcend the American culture like Madden.

I like to review video games for Gamespot, but I always make sure I play more than 40 hours before I write anything.  I just want my opinion to have some solid basis.  So after 40+ hours of Tekken: Dark Resurrection, I believe that the PSP has received a wake-up call.  See my review for my complete thoughts on TDR, but up until now, the PSP has been the platform for stripped-out games.  PSP games have come with the bare minimum modes, fewer levels and less immersive gameplay.  Some games came close, like Daxter and Syphon Filter: Dark Mirror, but none of the rest were really all that terrific.  Gamespot editors have been very generous with games like FIFA 06 World Cup and NCAA 07, giving them ratings (in my opinion) that they don't deserve.  But TDR is the PSP game that finally put it all togther.  Great graphics, great gameplay, great modes.  Finally, the PSP has a game that utilizes the full potential of its platform.  I can only hope that future PSP game makers take a very close look at TDR and model their games after this new standard.

I've never really had a blog before, but if people are interested in what's happening in my life, then I will gladly share.  Read my profile to find out more about me.

I am currently stewing over what I see as video game developer laziness.  I just bought (and returned) NCAA 07 for PSP.  What's sad is that I played this game on PS2 at a buddy's house, and I completely enjoyed it.  But the PSP version was like playing another game.  The gameplay was awful!  I know that having multiple platforms must be a headache for developers, but if they can't handle it, they shouldn't be in the business.  Am I the only one who sees it like this?  If a game is great on one platform, shouldn't it be at least respectable on others?