So, the title is a little misleading. This isn't going to paint out a big solution to the problem or problems with Nintendo, and in truth there really isn't a "problem" with Nintendo.

The most important thing to remember before passing and judgement on Nintendo is it's a company. I have seen a lot of people react very badly over Nintendo's actions of late and this can seem overly reactive but also totally understandable. But at the end of the day Nintendo are not this thing or that, they are just a company that creates products they hope appeal to a lot of people, and so sell.

Simple as that. So ultimately no one in any industry, at least not us "fans" should really have a reason to complain. Lest we forget Sony and Microsoft didn't start with video games.

So to the main topic. I, as I have just noted, saw and heard a lot of anger from people who really have lot faith in the path Nintendo are treading. They have grown up with Nintendo games and products and have felt neglected by the developers that they supported and put a lot of time in the past. I always attempted to see the positive side. Nintendo still did support games, they allowed for a large back catalogue to become available on the Nintendo shop on wii. Released the best Mario for years also. Games like mad world and no more heroes also gave me a little hope for the position the company.

No, after the e309 Nintendo press conference I feel depressed for the state of the games development side of Nintendo.

Now, as I said, I understand the need for family friendly and more diverse products. But the event missed so much of what made Nintendo special.

For the most part the host was an emotionally detached number cruncher type. At best her presentation was clumsy at worst totally disinterested. The content she had to show couldn't have helped. Although I suspect she's less interested in the classic style games like metroid and Mario then anything else anyway. The new gadget was a pulse monitor (exactly the same in design as those used by paramedics); Few times we had a good chance to hear about a true Nintendo ip we saw either nothing more then small updates of games already released. Mario in the fourth dimension = 4 players? this showed absolutely no imagination. I actually managed to think of a much more interesting game idea using that as the starting point and im a moron. Or at worst talking about a game that should be a killer with a classic e3 video, and showing just one static promo picture and then saying you have it at e3 available to try. Why not show THAT on the big screen.

The one truly impressive game video and announcement at Nintendo at e3 was metroid. Only this isn't even really being dealt with by Nintendo but team ninja instead. (Good choice though)

Today I bought a brand new, boxed copy of Mario brother's superstar saga for gba.

It is a shining example of the very thing that makes Nintendo what it was, and why people have been so badly hit by its actions of late.

It's involving, funny, inventive and visually stunning (for gba). It references a history and back catalogue that also shows creativity, inventiveness and most of all fun. It's a playable example of exactly what we all think of when we think of Nintendo. All the people most upset by the new approach are so because they miss this Nintendo. It shaped childhoods, gave them worlds to adventure in, fantastical creatures to befriend and battle. And a sense of wonder, of not knowing what was going to be around the next corner.

Now Nintendo do not work with escapism, instead keep us even more tied to the real world. How fat or fit we are. How good are you at reading? Maths. They even give us more jobs to do, digital editions of what we already do anyway.

This is the real shame. Nintendo seems to totally have lost its ability to dream.

Is there still hope. I think so. In my view they should set up Nintendo into specific sections. This half for games... this for lifestyle apps. Nintendo life. And Nintendo play. Give those separate offices and the freedom to work in the area they are created to work in. Have the lifestyle apps, but without loosing out on the games.

And when an e3 comes along, get the balance right 75-80% games to 20-25% apps. Get people excited again. And do a "Zelda" and blow us away with a trailer just once more. Just don't leave it too late. Because eventually we won't want to know.

So we all know that one of our gaming icons has had a bit of a difficult time of late.

Back in the 90's and the "16 bit age" sonic had it all. Created as not only a rival to Nintendo's Mario not just in sales but as a way to show just what type of game play could be possible in platformers. Cartoon style visuals, high speed adventures, and a character with real character (Mario didn't really start having any until smw and then it was slowly being drip fed to him).

But Sega and Sonics luck didn't last long some could argue the first steps in the wrong direction were making a buggy pinball game with him. Its true and you know it. But all games characters have this need to take part in non hero based events. Marios made it into an art form.

Anyway, over the years Sonics luck with good games has diminished. Many people seem to think its the high number of characters added with each game into the sonic canon , and others think that the number of different types of game play have effected his luck over the years. These things are close to being true but its more then just either of those things.

So where is this leading? I've come up with a list of ways Sega and us can save sonic the hedgehog.

SEGA:

Stop rushing out a new sonic game each year! They are buggy, fiddly and just plane wrong!

Don't force people to do something they don't want to. Now this might make a few people question my sanity but I liked both shadow (but only in sonic adventure 2) and big the cat. Shadow's story arc in sa2 was wonderful, and Sega actually finished a game with the first character death and his death was interesting at that. What was essentially a dark and confused character became a self sacrificing hero. I found his end then truly touching. His suddenly being alive, then suddenly being a robot, then in his own game not light balding (which was a bloody funky style on sa2) and instead driving a car and shooting guns ... Blooming GUNS! What were you thinking Sega you morons!!

Really ruined what could have been a good character. I would have liked to see a story chronicling his fall back to earth, how he survived and more game play based around how he moved on sonic adventure 2. And no more obsessing over "chaos control".

As for big the cat, I just thought he was a bit of fun. But Sega when you get sonic in the title, sonic is who you come to play as. Not cats, foxes (in walking planes!!!!!) and especially not warehogs!! Yes Have all the characters in there, make them playable even. But don't force them on people. Give people the choice to play as them separately from Sonics story. You managed to do it for adventure 1 and it worked really well.

Take Tails and trash his bloody robo plane. He used to be as fast, if not faster then sonic in sonic the hedgehog 2. Give us the chance to play as that tails again. I understand the need to making him different to sonic, as with all the other characters, but not stupidly so. Although if I do play as Eggman again, I don't mind him in the egg walker. That made sense and actually, in most of SA2 levels, worked quite well.

Make sonic about sonic. Don't rush the game, don't shove in some stupid ideas or gimmicks, and give us back that speed and fun. The closest we've got of late to sonic being sonic again was unleashed. And then you were forced into playing as the warehog or to die over and over and over again in levels so overly hard that they made you claw your own eyes out. Sonic 1 through and knuckles are challenging yes, but they are not filled with constant amounts of instant death. Sonic needs lost of pretty, fun and fast levels not a few deadly ones. Children should feel comfortable with playing to the end without being broken down into tears..

Get rid of some of the "tude" Sonic should be cheeky but likeable. Not smug and an arse. It's telling that the best and most likeable sonic i've seen of late has been created for a Nintendo game (smash bros)

My suggestion for the future.

What needs to be done, I think, is a TOTAL sonic universe reboot.

Make 1 game telling the story from sonic 1 through 2, 3, and knuckles, adventure 1 and 2, advance, heroes, and rush. Unleashed didn't happen. This could be one long story or a load of smaller chapters for each game.

Tell this long story from Sonics side, making sonic playable from beginning to end. And only sonic. Yes add the other characters, even making it possible to play as them. But make them unlock able extras like in adventure and make them fun, different and most importantly for the player to choose.

Give sonic speed, and make each level possible for anyone to get through, but not a trial to have to. Don't make people pay a ton of cash at the door and then smash them over and over the head with a brick. They will just walk.

Make shadow either. Just that character from adventure 2 and explain him in a simpler and less cooky way or leave him dead at the end of the adventure story arc. Yes make him cool but don't try so hard. ("he's cool you know, see! SEEE! Look at him, he rides a bike!!! Cool people do that right!! RIGHT!!)

Now Sega, this is your last chance. Either you make a good sonic again Or ill do it for you. Ok?!

Good.

I play games. I also watch movies on DVD / HD. As well as watching TV shows, cartoons.. Reading the odd book, magazine and listening to music. Most of us do each of these things to some extent or another. But Games, or computer and video games are different from all those other mediums in a few special ways. Or at least they are thought of differently. We as "gamers" do not overly like change. Unless it's cool and has black glossy finish with skulls and chains and **** yeah! A large number of "gamers" have felt, many would say rightly so, left out in the cold by the classic names of old. It's because of this strange fear of change. It's created a sort of blind hate for, what's called "the casual gamer". Now things are coming out with what the classic gamer sees as without depth, quality or merit. The key to this whole situation actually lies in one very simple thing. We call something as vast as our favourite hobby just one thing. Games. We are "gamers" we play "video games", talk about "gameplay", and the different types of "game styles" even giving then a strict set of guidelines and types to put them under. PLATFORMER! PUZZLER! 2D FIGHTER! SIMULATION! And so on. By creating the enclosed culture we have we have become very un accepting of what we have. What if we remove the word game? From our every day language? How does that affect things? Compare the games industry to the movie and TV industry. We act like we have more creative ideas in the games industry. But think about it more openly and we are way behind. Theres horror, action, romance, sexual, thriller.... so one yes. But there's also, gardening shows, TV movies, lifestyle shows, music, horoscopes, painting tutorials. Home decor advice, D.I.Y., art and culture reviews, breakfast news shows. The list is endless. And that's without the ads. Sure we have ads in games. But comepared to add in-between TV shows, they suck. Just on a creative level. All we have going for us is the fact that games let you take part. But that brings us right back to the problem. With us "gamers" denial of the casual games benefit we leave ourselves and the industry we like so much lagging behind. Nintendo have been accused, even playing on Xbox live with me, of abandoning the fans for the casual market. Like somehow they had suddenly stopped making games and instead made toast. mmmmm yum.... But in reality Nintendo have taken what I think, in the long run, what could be the best step toward a really important creative independent media. Ranked equally to all those weve had before. Now we do have all those types of games we had before, but we've got a wide range that we didn't have. We have cooking shows, and fitness videos, and art contests, and all sorts of new and different things. So, what to call it. When you think about it "games" just doesn't work as an accurate description. I say Digital Interactive Creative Entertainment.... I works better when you think about what what we do actually involves. ok I only added the "creative" bit so it'd make dice. At the end of the day ill stick to just playing my classic games and zombie shooters. But i'm not going to be afraid of the natural change anymore. Well, better go get some lunch. See you laters DICESPOT.COM guys!

Ok . So last night I had an all night sesh on a number of games ... Animal crossing , resident evil and left 4 dead... in that order. And one thing that has been bugging me for a while on one level or another really came to a head last night. Now I love left 4 dead. Quite a lot. Many a night its ruined my love life. I also really like to play it online. it (next to burnout paradise) really is a near perfect online experience. Both in the co-op and competitive ways. But thats the key to l4d , its about co-op. But other people dont seem to grasp that. In my time playing l4d ive been shot for fun, by people on my friends list ironically, Kicked for no reason (i understand why people have the option to kick players, but its open to abuse as a system. A group of friends can come into a game set up by a player, say on expert and vote to change the difficulty and then even kick the player who set up the game. Not good when your after the last few achievements.) and left pinned by special infected in situations where all other players were free to help. Now im not saying that the people who play l4d are all like this. Most are not. But a larger number are like that then are in most other games ive played. Why i couldnt tell you, but heres a few rules i came up with i trhink might be a good set to play by. 1. Dont kick someone just because they shot you once. by mistake. especially when 1. you ran in front of them as they were shooting. 2. you shot them 10 or 20 times yourself already 3. if they used the last health pack to heal your sorry ass when they needed to heal too . Its just nasty. 2. dont shoot a player for entering your game. Over and over. killing them. with no reason. If you dont want someone in your game , MAKE A BLOODY FRIENDS ONLY ONE! attacking people who enter a game via quick match makes you a total.... (word deleted) They dont always get to choose what game they end up in.... or EVER . so dont act like they just plopped in your breakfast. 3. Dont attack someone for not following your grand plan. If they dont have a headset or have a plan thats slightly different from yours , it doesnt mean they are going to somehow ruin the game for you. Teams are ment not be that , a team. And not a dictatorship. which brings me to... 4. Dont follow everyone elce and just kick someone just because the others voted to do so. You are allowed to have a mind of your own. Kicking people blindly is just a type of bullying and just shows your weak willed. 5. dont run off leaving one player behind, especially without warning. Its how teams get owned (no i ment to spell that correctly). At least try stick at best in groups of two. That way theres always someone covering you. 6. dont shoot someone for picking up a the last health pack . I best explain. in one game, even though i had healed this player twice before, once we got to the safe room. i picked up a health pack, healed myself, picked up the next and last pack, spun round , only to be met with the very player i had helped shooing me in the leg. At the same time as i selected the health pack to use on them. I subsequently changed back to my shotgun, smacked them in the head with it , and then healed them , while calling them a moron. They lesson to take away is. Dont just guess at a player. What they do might actually be for your interests. 7. If a player is manically flashing a torch at you , then flashing at something or some place. Maybe they are trying to tell or show you something. Last game i played I was on a team that just.. kept.. dieing .. over .. and over.. I always seemed to be the last to die. normally a smoker involved (much hate). So i attempted to get the players that were calling for help during the final even to go upstairs so that i could time the calling for help just right. But no matter how much i attempted to get the other player to go upstairs they just stood looking blank and pressed the call button anyway. The same mistakes happened again and again.... which brings me to point ... 8. DONT USE ALL THE GRENADES RIGHT AWAY. Too many a team have i been on when every grenade has been tossed before the first tanks even arrived. You would think that people would realise that the later into your final event you get the bigger the numbers of infected that show up. Dont use your molotov all on the first batch.. use just 1 or 2 and then use the rest for after the 1st and 2nd tank attack. And save the pipe bomb till last. for the run to the boat , and when your whole team is messed up beyond repare. That way you might actually get away and not get rushed by 200 infected for the 3rd time. 9. Dont think your way is the only way. especially as its not worked the last 2 times. If someone elce seems to be doing something different, try going along with them , you never know they might have a good idea. And if it doesnt work out at least you've both learned something and given the other player the time of day. When you do that they tend to remember and thank you. Then they are more likely to both heal your sorry ass when your down or pinned and go along with you and your ideas more willingly. Lastly. 10. if you see someone putting down lots of cans and tanks during the stages before the game starts on survival. dont got round moving them somewhere elce. especially if the somewhere elce is all togeather in the same place, using all the items in one go and making them useless in the long run. Maybe they are setting a few traps around the area. Me , i like to stagger the placement of my tanks and cans. Especially on the lighthouse. so that i can fall back one level of the lighthouse at a time and so that when a tank comes i have a few place where i can hit him with a big explosive charge and still have some left for other attacks / tanks. this really just ties into 9. but still. Most of all , dont be a **** . play togeather and have fun, and remember its about being a team. oh lastly . dont fear the witch. if someone shoots her. dont panic or hit them. she only goes after those who bother her and if thats not you , why do you have a reason to complain, heck maybe they even chose to bother her themselves so that she wouldnt attack you. you never. know.