Sugar Gamers

As gamers step into a world where controllers have become multi-purpose and more compact one has to ask if we still have a need for “mega” or genre specific controllers?  And what’s next for console controllers?

One of the all time favorites that still sells very well on Ebay is Nintendo’s classic Zapper gun most notoriously used to the classic title “Duckhunt.”

 A beloved and revolutionary controller for the time did very well and to date still holds a sentimental place in our hearts.  But what about today’s monstrous controller devices?  Rockband is a prime example of a very elaborate control system.  Most fans were willing to throw down on a guitar or base but very few homes had the whole Rockband shabang and where is MTV Games now?  Shutdown and broken apart with rumors that the franchise was leaking money.  I wont say that the controllers were the cause of the fallout but I would speculate that they didn’t help. 

Sugar Gamers recently sampled a new specialized controller from Subsonic which is the “Racin’ Pro” chair.  

We got a glimpse of the controller at last year’s E3 and now it’s available for PC and PS3.  We were invited to test drive the controller first hand and so we invited a few Sugar Gamers to test it.  The response was not what I would call over the moon.  For one the product boasted a one minute set up which may be true once you’ve practiced a few times.  It does come in a handy carrying case that folds up nice and neat to store the controller almost anywhere.  We were also not fond of sitting on the floor as butts became numb rather quickly.  The controller also feels a bit flimsy, there were a few instances where the steering wheel popped off in mid play.  When we asked our members how much they would pay for a product like this and the average was around 75$, the controller retails for 200$.  After sampling this product I began to question if large, specialized controller setups like this one are relevant to today’s gaming market.

Now there is one type of specialized controller that continues to remain relevant and that is the fighting stick.  Hot off the assembly line this week is the new Mortal Kombat stick which also features storage and a very classic feel and has fans salivating.

And what about handhelds?  There’s never been too much hoohah when it comes to default controllers except for the plasma smashing Wii-motes.  Along with our sampling of the chair Subsonic also sent us their new “NEO” PS3 controller.  

This controller peeked my interested as it is a bit wider and more Xbox like in design which may work well for those who own both an Xbox and PS3.  At first glance it was a very attractive controller with reflective surfaces and very comfortable surfaces where your hand sit.  Our girls were somewhat curious about this shape with mixed reviews.  A few of our die hard PS3 players were more partial to the default Playstation controller while others were infatuated with it.  One thing we all agreed on was that the reflective surfaces would be littered with fingerprints taking away some of its visual appeal.

I would like to see more experimentation with shape and surface as was done with the “Neo.”  And of course the buzz around the new Nintendo controller that will accompany the new Nintendo console is said to feature a touch screen which could prove to be a game changer but we’ll have to wait until E3.  Also on hand to present hot new products at E3 is Razer which has already gained a heavy gamer following for stylized console controllers.   

Nikki Lynette is an awesome musician and entertainer and a dear friend to our Sugar Momma and myself and she has a wicked mix tape coming out this month.  In celebration we did a little web series and you might see myself and my boss lady Keisha “Sugar Momma” Howard.  Enjoy the antics and you can find Nikki’s upcoming mixtape on djbooth.net on May 18th.

Geeks and gamers of the female persuasion apparently have some serious rules to abide by, don’t worry, I didn’t know either.  This past week some feathers in the lady geek community got ruffled and revealed an interesting school of thought.  According to several women I’ve encountered in person and online female geeks should not consider themselves a novelty, should not emphasize their femininity, should not even use the prefixes “girl” or “female.”  Many ladies with these beliefs tend to proclaim them like commandments and even on certain occasions, threaten violence.  Which makes me relieved she-geekism isn’t a religion because I would definitely be sentenced to GIRL GAMER HELL!  Bruahahahahahahah!  A place where all the Xboxes are red ringed and the PSN Networks are hacked and the Wii motes have broken all the TV’s…and there’s no air conditioning.

Allow me to run down the list of sins:

1. Possessing breasts.  Don’t refer to them, pretend they don’t exist, better yet, cut ‘em off.  Obviously low cut tops are out of the question.  

2. Grind it into your ignorant skull that you are not special!

 Female geeks are no longer cool or exciting. You are as awesome as the fifteen year old boy calling you fat and ugly on XBL.

3. Thou shalt not be sexy, EVER!  So forget about 95% of all comic book, anime and video game cos plays ladies.

 And makeup is for the weak!  From now on, it’s over-sized potato sacks and lip balm!

4. You are not a “female” or “girl” anything!  Thou shalt not answer to these titles!  And stop calling it “Girl” Gamer Hell!  (Told ya I’d be goin’ to Girl Gamer Hell…whoopsie doodles…there I go again)

Did I dramatize the rules?  I’ll admit, I may have stretched them just a wee bit, but only to show how comical this is.  I understand the desire certain ladies have to not be objectified but there’s no need to condemn someone for choosing to look a certain way.  And for the record, I will always consider girl geeks special because a night with my favorite geeky gals is always epic.  Here’s the thing, boy nerds don’t have these rules.  They could sit in the middle of the street with their joystick hanging out playing video games without showering for weeks and it’s all good.  Ladies, why are we enforcing all these fraking rules on ourselves?  C’mon meow, I don’t wanna go to Double “G” “H” Double Hockey Stick.     

Taking a jump from your favorite flat table surface to Xbox Live Arcade, Playstation Netowrk and PC comes “Dungeons & Dragons Daggerdale.”  When the announcement came the first ones with questions were loyal table top players of D&D who have already sampled previous D&D PC titles with little enthusiasm.  Will this take away from the charm of gathering around a table with friends?

 I don’t think any developer would release a D&D game these days without multiplayer (which Daggerdale offers) allowing you to game with new friends as well as old.  Despite a few huffs and puffs there seems to be a general excitement around Daggerdale.  Take a look at the announcement trailer:

As you can see the Forgotten Realms are overrun by the Zhentarim lead by Rezlus who fans should be familiar with.  Unfortunately it’s the job of the players to restore order, without being afraid to get a little rough.  Once you’ve battled your way through murky mines and the Tower of the Void the word on the street is Rezlus will be waiting.  The game will have tons of terrain and weapons to unlock.  Taking a closer look at some of the latest screen shots you can get a glimpse of weapon and magic capabilities:

Although I don’t believe video games will ever replace the time honored tradition of table top gaming, this game can provide hours of fun for those nights when the schedules of your D&D crew don’t align for game night.  Daggerdale springs into action May 24th.

Whispers of a “Wii  2” have turned into a full on confirmation from Nintendo who intends to premiere the new gaming console at this year’s E3.  So I guess it’s a good thing Sugar Gamers will be there to get an exclusive look at the latest Nintendo creation.

The code name for this Wiiquel is “Project Cafe.”  If I had to guess I’d say this is eluding to new social aspects the system plans to bring to gamers as they have done with the 3DS.  You’ll have to pardon us if this article isn’t exactly picture heavy as Nintendo has been over the top hush hush about the project.  System specs and capabilities are locked down tight like a missile launch code.  Rumors are swirling about a touch screen controller and a mega horsepower upgrade with a far superior processor.  It wouldn’t surprise me if there was 3D action in there as well.  If this is true one should expect a price hike which would match the rumors of the system running consumers somewhere around 400$.  This would follow Nintendo’s latest trend of bumping up prices as they did with the new 3DS retailing for 250$, which is selling steadily, but not at staggering numbers.  One of the mass appeals for the Wii was it’s low price, we’ll see if the higher price will alienate the new casual gaming audience Nintendo has managed to bring to the gaming community.  

As is tradition, there is no better place to rev up the hype monster than E3 and Nintendo is definitely on a mission to hog the spotlight.  Of course Sugar Gamers will get you the lowdown from E3, but for now we’ll just have to sit tight, or get up and play a Wii game, whatever floats your boat.