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03-02-2008, 11:31 PM
|  | m00tini! | | Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Some Hotel Somewhere
Posts: 23,920
| | | Seven 7hings: The 7 Most Influential Brands In Gaming
The 7 Most Influential Brands In Gaming Throughout the last four decades, computer science and electrical engineering have brought mankind some amazing technological breakthroughs. We can make banking transactions from a cell phone, order plane tickets from a laptop computer, help a friend drop a transmission into a '72 Mustang from halfway across the globe via video conferencing, and much more. Though the achievements from our newfound technological revolution have helped us do more faster, they have also affected us culturally in ways that no one could have ever imagined. Without a doubt, one of the most defined cultural impacts to come from our recent technological advancements is the invention of the video game, and with it, the subsequent creation of the gaming sub-culture. Yet with any popular cultural event, comes the chance for entrepreneurial individuals and corporations alike, to turn a profit...and hence, brands are born.
In this installment of Seven 7hings, we'll take a look at the seven most influential brands in the video gaming industry. We will find out how these brands got their start, what they achieved to be worthy of this list, how they continue to present themselves in an effort to get your hard-earned cash in their coffers, how well they manage their brands, and how they can be improved.
To guide you thorough this editorial, here are the five distinct categories we will use to investigate each brand: - The History - A short synopsis of the beginnings of the brand
- Why The Brand Is Relevant - Why the aforementioned brand is successful. Their products, titles, achievements, ect
- The Brand Statement - What the company intends to say with their marketing and other promotional outputs
- The Brand Equity Meter - How much affect does the brand have on the products they produce; a rating of customer pull or attraction
- How The Brand Can Be Improved - Suggestions as to how the brands can do a better job promoting and/or maintaining their products and services
Please also note that this list is arranged alphabetically, there is no distinct number one here...we're just laying out a list, you can decide the order amongst yourselves. Enjoy! Activision-Blizzard - The History: In early 1991, three UCLA graduates formed a company called Silicon and Synapse. This organization started out working on ports of games for other companies. In 1994, the name of the company was changed to Chaos Studios, but as it turns out, there was already a company by that name, so the three decided to call themselves Blizzard Entertainment...the very name that they would have to this day, after what some would consider, the strongest run in PC gaming history to date.
Fast forward to December of 2007, and the gaming giant and long-time industry titan Activision (who's early days date back to 1979) offers up around $5-$6 billion dollars, after a lot of crafty numbers crunching, to buy a controlling stake in Blizzard. This creates a monster of a company that is now known as Activision-Blizzard. This new company takes the long-held #1 spot away from EA Games with a $19 billion dollar market cap, compared to EA's $17 billion. Read the official acquisition press release here, and the merger FAQ here if you're bored...and I mean really bored.
- Why The Brand Is Relevant: To sit here and list all of the titles that these two companies are responsible for over the years would take hours, so I'll just list a few that you might have heard of before. Let's start with Blizzard's treasure chest, Warcraft, Warcraft II, World Of Warcraft, Diablo, Diablo II, the rumored Diablo III, StarCraft and the upcoming StarCraft II to name a few. I, for one, can attest that at least one of these games nearly cost me my job, girlfriend at the time and more hours of sleep than any one adult male should be without...and that was only from playing Diablo II.
Now onto Activision, and understand that Activision is more of a publisher, but does have something to do with creative direction from time to time. Here are some of the games they are responsible for publishing, the Guitar Hero franchise, the Tony Hawk franchise, the Call of Duty series, just about every Id Software game ever released and more. Obviously, there is no doubt that Activision-Blizzard is relevant as a brand, both individually, and going forward, as an conglomerate.
- The Brand Statement: Activision-Blizzard clearly has no bones about presenting themselves as the greatest game development and publishing company on the face of the planet. This is not out of arrogance, yet rather as a matter of simple fact due to the huge success of so many of their titles over the years, both as the conglomerate they are today, and as the individuals they were in years past.
To give more of a visual to this concept personified in their marketing, they did a short while back. Take one big, bad-ass dude who looks to be one to bust you in the chops just as soon as say hello to you, add in a custom WoW character creation who looks equally as brutal, add a few lines of witty banter from the T-man himself, and a shot of their game's box to end the commerical. They're saying "Mr T is one serial mofo, and we think our games are as bad-ass as he is...and if you don't then we'll just rip off your head and send you back to your Pokemon cards...fool!" And do you want to know what? It works.
Let's also not forget, you know you've arrived in the land of pop-culture icons when the largest auto manufacturer in the world around your colorful pixels...yes, Toyota used a video game to sell light trucks to Gen-X and Y'ers...wow indeed.
- Brand Equity Meter: The Activision and Blizzard logo being present on a box mean a lot to today's fickle gamer. These two companies have collectively been in the gaming arena a long time and know what it means to create something of substance, box it up, support it after the sale, and build upon what they learned from successful titles in the past and apply that, and more, to newer games they're working on.
The brand that is Activison-Blizzard is strong because they care. They care about their customers and they care about their people (just take a look at their corporate page on benefits). They have a firm grasp on the concept that this world revolves around experiences, both professionally and personally. If they create a good experience (game), through sound and moral professional means (by being moral stewards of their flock), their customers (us nerds) will want more, and their employees (the grunts) will be happily motivated to deliver the goods time and time again (we win!).
- How The Brand Can Be Improved: So it goes without saying that the brand that is Activision-Blizzard has more than a few notches in their headboard, and arguably, they're in a position to become the positive force on the gaming industry that EA Games never was given their immense size and sway in the gaming industry today. They now hold the lions share of the gaming industry across multiple platforms and genres, and that power is in just about the best hands it could be in. This newly formed company has the ability to do extremely good things if they keep on the path they're currently on.
But let's play devil's advocate and put forth that the one thing we could see happen to this organization, due to its huge size, is that they could forget to do the little things as well as they always have. When companies are acquired, a whole new set of cultures is often thrust upon the lesser organization in an attempt to bring them into the fold, as it were, to the thinking of the larger firm. The smartest thing Activision can do is leave Blizzard the hell alone. Let those guys do their job, create amazing games with global appeal like they always have. When they need money, give it to them. When they need more time to get things right, allow them to take it. Simply speaking, Activision should allow Blizzard to work as autonomously as they can within reason. This will allow Activision and Blizzard to each continue to do their own thing.
Both Blizzard and Activision were strong as two separate entities, and they should stay that way...independent in practice, but united in mindset. Only then will they both flourish to their fullest potential, and exceed all of our expectations...and each other's.
EA Games- The History: EA Games was started in 1982 by and a few others, who at that time took pride in being among the first to actively develop their own titles, while also helping promote individuals who were designing their own PC titles. The company was originally called Amazing Software, but after much direction and interaction from people with lots of money who saw an opportunity to create something much bigger, the name of the company was eventually changed to Electronic Arts.
Though their roots were based in creativity, over the years EA has broadened their scope from not just developing games, but to publishing and distributing them as well in an effort to maximize upon potential revenue streams within the gaming industry. This has lead them to relationships with such companies as Crytek (Crysis), the DICE guys (Battlefield franchise, whom they eventually acquired), and others as well. These relationships are often considered to be bad for the other company, due to EA's less than stellar reputation with the general gaming community at large due to past mishaps, and downright disasters.
Once EA took themselves public, the company that was once based on innovation and creativity, became what every other publicly held entity is at the heart of all things...a regime run by ruthless bean counters, bent on sacrificing all that is good, for all that generates a healthy return in the short term for shareholders. That is not to say that such motives have not turned out to be fiscally sound for their organizational goals and longevity, but speaking from a consumer standpoint (and one that loves games for that matter), EA has an excellent record of doing more harm than good to companies they acquire or take over the distribution and/or development of. Case in point, right here.
- Why The Brand Is Relevant: EA's most recognizable achievements are without a doubt their lineup of sports games, most notably the Madden franchise. The popularity of the NFL and college football over the last decade has made it damn near impossible for these types of titles to fail for them. Kick in the fact that most sports fans are demographically parallel to gamers, and you can see how these types of titles do so well for EA. Oh, and it doesn't hurt to have exclusive contracts with the NFL and the NCAA so that no other developer can create games using those specific brands to help market their games.
But sports is not the only genre that has proven profitable for the EA folks. You might have heard of that little game called The Sims from a while back? Ya, that thing has sold about a gazillion copies across the various incarnations of the game and its expansion packs. Check out how The Sims 2 did in its early run. Though the Sims franchise has been PC exclusive, you can bet that EA has been working on ways to bring this type of experience to other platforms. Once they figure out how to pull off The Sims series on consoles, forget about it...game, set, match.
Let's not forget to add to their list of accomplishments, Medal of Honor and Need For Speed, two franchises that need no introduction and are, in fact, already being played on consoles and PC's.
- The Brand Statement: EA attempts to promote themselves as the magic ingredient that makes a game great. They aim to be that unique element that no other developer or publisher has, that you can only get from them with all of their experience and expertise in making uber-stuffs. You might recall their recent tag line of "EA Games, challenge everything" or "EA Sports, it's in the game". They try to give themselves an air of "we kick ass, we aren't afraid to try new things, our shit doesn't stink...and it's inside of each and every game we make!". Well, you get the point. It works for them considering the grand stage at which you're usually consuming the message, either some high dollar television advertisement spot or jumbo-tron screen at a huge trade show. If EA is anything, it is not subtle.
- Brand Equity Meter: To say that EA's name slapped on a box immediately makes it sell like hotcakes would not only be incorrect, it would be immoral and unjust in ways that could possibly get your ass kicked within certain social circles...and rightfully so. What EA has done to so many great game franchises over the last few years (anyone remember this?) after either acquiring them as intellectual properties, or simply forcing the developers into pushing out unfinished products to meet boardroom approved release dates agreed to in publishing contracts, has had very ill effects on their brand and any they lay their hands upon.
Take the recent Crysis release for example. Given how terribly soft sales have been for this game, it is apparent that the title was never ready to leave the developer's studios. It is of no surprise to me that EA Games pushed this title as hard as they did, and in turn, squeezed out an unfinished and un-optimized product, and in turn further diminishing their own name in the minds of gamers worldwide.
- How The Brand Can Be Improved: Though EA's brand recognition is strong, it is in many ways strong in its negative perception among gamers. Currently, when you think of EA Games, you think of a corporate behemoth that is bent on world domination by whatever means possible. They are the Microsoft of the 90's in the minds of the modern gamer. To improve upon this image, EA should first decree that it's no longer in the development business. It should shut down its sweat shops (well, it kind of already has started that in fact) and simply let the good people of the world that know what they're doing in game development, do it.
What EA does well is market, not make, good games. Sure, they have good developers working under their wing, but it is in spite of EA that the occasional hit comes from their studios, not because of them. The working conditions that EA has been famously exposed for having (read here!) within their development teams are part of what is hurting the gaming industry right now. If you are a talented programmer, are you going to enter an industry whose own pioneers and leaders treat their best people like dirt? Or are you going to head to the likes of Apple or Google where you are appreciated as a gifted individual and as a human being equally? Once I heard about Google's free food and sliding schedules, the choice would be easy for me.
EA Games obviously does not know how to let creative people be just that...creative, and make a good game. Their best bet is to spin off the likes of DICE (like Microsoft did with Bungie), yet continue to distribute the titles and support them with marketing resources. Only then will EA Games be able to do what they do best, sell us games, not make them for us.
 Id Software- The History: Id Sofware's story is a thing of internet lore, which will most likely never be topped as far as all things fame and fortune (and dumb luck!) go. The organization was formed by several employees of a company called Softdisk whom, after happening upon an interesting new technology while moonlighting on various projects, decided to get into game development for themselves. Two of the early people within Id who were of major influence (and who are extremely polarizing personalities to one another) were John Carmack and John Romero. Both were considered at the top of their craft back when Id first started releasing games. But oh, how just a few short years can change things, eh?
Today, while Carmack is well known as the father of the modern gaming engine, and somewhat of an immortal figure in the industry, Romero is more well known for being the guy that bragged about his great game almost being done, then defending it like an ass when it finally shipped and
Well, in all fairness, he did lay pipe with http://fulgerica.com/en/2007/02/24/the-sexiest-female-quake-player-ever-stevie-killcreek-casey/ (at least the online portion if mammory servers me right)...yet, http://archive.gamespy.com/legacy/interviews/womengaming5_a.shtm, so said consensual fluid exchange might be washed away by such a humiliation.
But let me not dwell on such things, for Id Software went on to become one of the greatest things (if not the greatest thing) to ever happen to PC gaming. The little studio that started out with a simple, , ended up becoming the absolute hands-down must-have brand for first-person shooters for the last 15 years.
Many of the people that have come and gone from the hallowed halls of Id's Texas facilities have ventured on to do some amazing things of their own...and surely much of their success can be attributed to all they learned while being on the team known as Id Software. - Why The Brand Is Relevant: From very early on, Id Software has mostly gone the way of the franchise with regards their game development. They have never been one to release a game and not revisit, revamp, redraw and improve upon the first incarnation. Simply put, they spin success off of success, until the next big idea hits them, or until it runs dry...which has happened to them a few times over the last couple of years, and left us gamers a bit disappointed (Doom 3 anyone? ).
With that said, here is a rundown of Id's very impressive library, Commander Keen, Wolfenstein, RTCW, Doom, Doom 2, Doom 3, various Doom series add-on packs, Quake, Quake 2, Quake 3, Quake 3 Arena, Quake 4, Enemy Territory and various Quake series add-on packs.
- The Brand Statement: Id's brand message is pretty clear. They don't try to make you smile with funny ads starring has-been actors, or for that matter, even try to make you laugh at all. Their branding is built around that concept that when you play their games, you get lost...totally lost in a dark, visceral and unforgettable experience powered by some of the (again, if not the) the greatest minds in gaming development and art direction, who themselves created the amazing new game engine that the title you're playing is built upon. The keep no secrets about the fact their games are cutting edge, and will most likely bring your PC to its stubby little knees as you try to load up their latest experience at the highest resolutions. In their latest releases, they warn you to come loaded with SLI, dual core processors, high end headphones, and a large monitor...and a new pair of shorts because they're going to blow away all of your previous expectations of what a good game is, and scare the shit out of you at the same time. Let me also add a short editor's note: Amen to that shit!
- Brand Equity Meter: For better or worse, you can slap an Id Software logo on a steaming dog pile and it will sell a few hundred thousand copies in a week or so. Hell, they've earned my money till the day they shut the doors on their studio. Their games have, overall, been a great experience...and they include co-op much of the time (holy shit, you mean co-op can be fun?! Who new!?). *Cough* game developers, are you listening?
I don't have too much of a problem with their massive customer allegiance but, as I will explain in the next section, Id had better have at least one more ace up their sleeve, because the last few iterations of their Doom and Quake franchises have left a lot to be desired...like a BFG's blast worth of desire, to put not too fine a point on things.
- How The Brand Can Be Improved: There is no doubt that the above list of Id's prior game development achievements speaks for itself, and has secured them as a bedrock chapter in the imminent history books of video gaming legends. Yet as the years have gone on and piracy has become rampant in PC gaming, it is obvious that Id Software (and other companies as well) are looking towards the more stable business of game engine design and licensing, and are moving away from developing their own properties. There is a lot more money to be made in this new business model, and with the brilliance of John Carmack on the team, there's absolutely no reason for them to not move their organizational resources in this direction. Yet this leaves them vulnerable to becoming a has-been in the world of first-person shooters, the very landscape that they, arguably, birthed with the release of Wolfenstein oh-so long ago.
The danger to their brand is complacency. Should they become merely an engine-design studio and not focus on coming out with a kick-ass title from their own offices, their legacy will be tarnished beyond repair. Consider Doom 3, the last game that entirely came out of their Texas offices. It was essentially nothing more than a 4-hour demonstration of their latest game engine. It was boring, repetitive, lacked a real storyline and was simply not that good after the first hour of game play. Although I'm sure it impressed more than a few people who were shopping around for a game engine for their latest property, it left gamers far and wide wondering what had happened to our beloved Id.
A way they can improve, and secure their legacy, is to invest heavily in the next game they come out with independently of any other studios...to not half-ass it. They need to deliver us another title worthy of mention in the same breath as Doom and Quake. Their latest project, the , looks pretty, but they had better back it up with a story that has nothing to do with Phobos, Mars or any other previous title of their own making. It needs to come out, hitting hard, taking no shit, kicking us gamers a swift kick in the sack, frying our motherboards and graphics cards and keeping us up way too long into the night.
With one more shot in the balls to the industry, Id Software can ride off into the sunset as the greatest gaming company of all time. But we need , just one more.
 Microsoft - The History: I'm not going to bore us all to death with how Microsoft got their start, because frankly, if you don't know by now, you probably don't care anyway. Just know that Bill Gates and a few of his buddies were in the right place at the right time, and with the right product...and that if IBM hadn't been so shortsighted, they would be Microsoft today (read more about that here).
The short story behind why we care about Microsoft as gamers, is that just about the time Win95 was about to be released, a few developers who worked for MS realized that DOS was still a better platform for gaming than their precious new operating system. So they devised a protocol that dealt with multimedia and gaming instructions and gave it the name DirectX. It was at this point that Windows became a serious gaming platform, capable of a multitude of amazing things, especially 3-d graphics. , that is if you can stay awake long enough.
Just around the time the world realized how many millions of PlayStation consoles had been sold (probably around the late 1990's), Microsoft accepted that PC gaming was only one side of the very lucrative (and popular) cultural phenomenon now known simply as, gaming. It was shortly after this realization that Microsoft launched the first XBox on November 15th, of 2001 for the retail price of $299 (it is now sold for approximately $100), and with that helped begin a new age for console gaming. Finally, someone with money was getting into the console market to compete with the PlayStation, and this was good for gamers because competition fuels innovation and fair pricing.
Where Sony dominated for so long, and Nintendo didn't do so bad either, Microsoft now had a steady, if not firm, foothold in the console business, and was set to take on Sony head-on in a quest to be the only gaming console in your living room.
Move up just a few more years and you have the second coming of Micrsoft's console offering, known as the XBox360. The 360, which needs no introduction, will be discussed further below.
- Why The Brand Is Relevant: Several games were popular upon the release of the XBox console, but none of them captured the essence of what the Japanese developers had been missing all along quite so well as Halo: Combat Evolved. To this day, Halo, Halo 2 and Halo 3 are all parts of one of the most well known gaming franchises of all time. In fact, Halo 3's initial single day sales figures eclipsed even that of all Hollywood releases in history with a staggering $170 million dollars in sales on the first day. To this date, Halo 3 has amazingly sold over 8 million copies. Halo brought with it an FPS experience not yet seen before on a console, and with that, spawned an entirely new type of fanboy...for better or worse.
Some of Microsoft's other crowning achievements in gaming are as follows, DirectX, games such as the Flight Simulator franchise (which goes back an astounding 26 years), the Age Of Empires series, the Forza Motorsports series, and also the Zoo Tycoon franchise. They even have a partnership with Peter Jackson (of LOTR and King Kong fame) in his Wingnut Production company, where they most likely help with the heavy CGI lifting required in Jackson's films.
Microsoft also acts as a publisher from time to time, leveraging their massive power to help games (and now movies) find a way into the marketplace, and onto your console/PC...where of course they take a nice cut of the profits for such services. Such titles as Mass Effect, BioShock, Gears of War and more come to mind in the recent past...not a bad lineup, eh?
- The Brand Statement: Microsoft's message to gamers is quite broad, and it includes communicating to them about both games and hardware. As far as games, they really don't have much of a message at all other than that their titles play and look great and are sure to get you coming back for more. Pretty boring really. Though you have to remember that Microsoft themselves do not have too much to do with titles from an organic standpoint anymore, due to their larger publishing and distribution business models taking larger roles. They most likely look to their partners for for games they are distributing.
Yet they certainly take marketing to new heights when it comes to the XBox360 and its various capabilities. They're never shy about promoting the hardware itself as a media center, game console and nice little addition to the side of your desk that still have a little room on it for a cup full of pencils and a small lamp. They also have a keen way of approaching the advertising for the XBox360 in that they don't really get into specific games all that much, yet they do try to capture the essence of playing games on their console.
Have a look at , and . They're both based on the Jump In theme, meaning "get your ass in the game and start playing, we're all having a blast and you should be too!" They both show you that the XBox360 is built around playing games with others, and even what types of games...but they never actually show you a specific title.
Their message is not so easy to figure out all the time, but Microsoft does a good job of targeting specific demographics and speaking to them how they like to be spoken to. For a bunch of old guys in the pacific northwest, they aren't afraid to let the younger marketing folks do the speaking for them...and for that, I applaud them.
- Brand Equity Meter: Microsoft is known for many things, but simply put, they are not known for creating stellar games. In fact, they are more known, within their other businesses models, for creating upgrade paths that force users to constantly purchase the next iteration of their software to continue on with compatibility, functionality and security. Shady shit to say the least, and part of the reason the EU has the balls to stand up to them, while for some reason the US sucks their Washington lobbyist tit and lets MS get away with all kinds of crap that screws consumers in the States But I digress...
Microsoft's brand equity, as it pertains to the gaming industry, is average at best, to be fair. They are known to turn out a good flight sim, and have from time to time even had a hand in some really good titles from a publishing standpoint. But to say their logo on a box makes all the kiddies flock to their games would simply not be true. If anything, the once owned subsidiary of Microsoft, Bungie, had that effect while he Halo craze was going. But with Bungie splitting off from Microsoft for good after nearly a decade of operating under the often firm thumb of Redmond, one has to wonder, what is cool about Microsoft gaming anymore?
- How The Brand Can Be Improved: With the recent release of DirectX 10, we were all excited at the prospect of an entirely new graphics experience in gaming. We were sold a bill of goods that stated, PC gaming will be changed forever with the coming of the latest DX protocol. What did we get? Well, we got a poorly timed launch between Vista (a huge dud in and of itself, especially for gamers) and DX10 capable video cards.
Although we've been promised that DX10 will eventually find its way to XP, the fact that Microsoft tried to, again, force users to upgrade to their latest operating system (cha-ching!) to enjoy the newly minted hotness that was (supposed to be!) DX10, was nothing more than a money grab on their part. Though official means of upgrading XP have not come out yet, there are more than a few sites claiming to have a way to do just that...at your own risk.
So how can Microsoft improve their brand image with regards to gaming? Well on the PC front, stop dicking around with the "this game works on that platform" (aka, Games For Windows) bullshit and allow game developers to do what they do...create great titles without restrictions. From a professional standpoint, I have to agree that the whole GFW thing is a neat idea if you're a marketing guy trying to find a way to funnel more gamer dollars into the pockets of Microsoft. Yet the fact that they're basically dictating to developers that all games that want this golden seal of approval (does anyone really give a shit about that stupid GFW logo on the box, really?) have to support widescreen, be playable with the PC XBox controller, launch from Windows Media Center, blah, blah, blah, really puts a damper on what developers can and cannot do.
Stop trying to lock down yet another facet of your PC software business, and let us play our games in peace already...oh, and get working on the XP port of DX10 please, because Vista has sucked for playing games since day 1.
On the console side of things, they need to do two things. One, fix the flippin' Xbox360 please. How is still going on is beyond me...but to be fair, consider how well the XBox360 sells (shit, I bought one) in spite of all of the failures being reported worldwide. That is a testament to how well received the X360 and XBox Live really are to gamers.
Secondly, since HD-DVD is now officially dead, get on the stick and give us a Blu-Ray equipped XBox360 sku. It's not only the right thing to do for consumer, but imagine how pissed off you'd make Sony by having a cheaper Blu-Ray equipped console system than they do?! Check your HD backing egos at the door and do the right thing.
 Nintendo- The History: You all probably know that Nintendo has been a powerhouse, albeit off and on, in consumer electronics for over twenty-five years now. What you probably didn't know is that Nintendo got their start in the late 1880's as a maker of Imagine what a set of those babies would go for right about now? Anyway, over the course of the last two and a half decades, we've seen Nintendo become a global organization that has invested wisely with the profits from its widely popular games and game hardware devices. Consider this little factoid you may not know, Nintendo owns a majority stake in the MLB baseball team, the Seattle Mariners and the NBA basketball franchise, the Atlanta Hawks.
The decision to re-invest in themselves, as well as take advantage of other investment opportunities in proven markets outside of their own, has allowed Nintendo to rise to the third most valuable company in all of Japan with a staggering $85 Billion dollar market value.
- Why The Brand Is Relevant: The list of games and devices that make Nintendo worthy of this list, and vault them to the tip of any gamer's thoughts when asked about popular companies in gaming, is practically endless. But we will take a shot at compiling a list of the more popular products, and start with some of the game titles that have been birthed on Nintendo systems, Legend Of Zelda series, Castlevania, Excite Bike, Final Fantasy, Metroid, Mario titles galore, Rayman Raving Rabbits and Wii Sports, Super Smash Brothers Brawl.
Here is a list of their game consoles, Color TV Game, Nintendo Entertainment System, Super NES, Nintendo 64, Gamecube, and finally, the Wii. On the handeld front, you've got the Game Boy, Game Boy Advanced, Nintendo DS and DS Lite.
You could stop keeping track of their accomplishments at the halfway point of each of those last two paragraphs, and you'd still have a gaming company worthy of the halls of Valhalla for gaming's history of legends. One could make a strong argument that Nintendo is single-handedly responsible for most, if not all, of us Gen X'ers being into gaming in the first place. I don't think I've every met someone who hasn't played a Mario title of some kind (yes, Donkey Kong counts) in their life. That's saying something folks.
Much of their success is based off of their understanding that gamers are looking for an experience, not a package. While Sony and Microsoft beat each other over the head trying to invent a super-computer-meets-gaming-console, the guys at Nintendo sat back and created the hands-down most fun console gaming experience to be had by those of all ages and backgrounds in the Wii...which by the way, continues to smash all kinds of unit sales records vs either the PS3 or XBox360. Oh, and the DS isn't doing so bad either...in fact, one could argue that the installed user base of the DS and DS Lite in Japan is nearing ridiculous figures. Oh no wait, they just got there...ridiculousness achieved.
- The Brand Statement: Over the years, Nintendo has had a lot to say about their products and games, but overall they have always tried to create the feeling that their games and consoles are of huge appeal to many ages, and that those ages to get their hands on said products. Rightfully so was this tactic, because few things got consumers of video games as excited as the latest Mario title of the day.
Interestingly enough, with the launch of their much heralded Wii console, their advertising has taken a more conservative approach. In television ads and , you can see that Nintendo is saying something along the lines of "You might have forgotten about us, and you also might not know anything about the Wii, so we're going to bring it to your house and let you in on the wonder that is our latest console system".
I applaud them for this style of ad campaign for a few reasons. First off, they're admitting that at the time the Wii came out, their living room console system was a distant third to the hoopla of the PS3 and XBox360. During this time, the only people I knew that were interested in the Wii were those that simply could not afford the asking price of either the Sony or Microsoft offerings. Nintendo did not shy away from this, in fact, they embraced it in their advertisements and public speaking events because it simply go you asking yourself, "Am I missing something here?"
Secondly, I love the fact that their ad focuses on two high level Nintendo executives getting out their overnight bags, and hitting the streets to bring their magical new approach to console gaming right to the doorstep of unsuspecting people. They show how the Wii is not only for young singles, but for married couples, families, elderly people and just about every ethnic background in their ads. Pretty powerful stuff if you're into marketing...and to back it up with a product like the Wii? Well, that's a marketer's wet dream.
- Brand Equity Meter: Nintendo's brand has always been very strong globally. Though it is obvious that in Japan they're a much more prevalent force to be reckoned with than here in the States, there is no doubt that even the Yanks will turn a head at the latest Nintendo console kiosk in Best Buy or Circuit City. Given the Japanese addiction to the handhelds, their brand penetrates much deeper on the island nation than in the rest of the world. But forget not, Nintendo has a huge global presence.
As far as games, it is fair to say that Nintendo has created some of the most long-lasting and relevant game franchises in all of gaming history. When they release something, people generally pay attention, if even just to take note that said game is not their cup of tea. Yet, the kicker with Nintendo's games, is that often times you won't be able to make such an evaluation until you've actually played it...anyone remember what they thought when their first heard about Mario Cart? And then how they felt after they had played the game? Ya, exactly my point.
Though Nintendo lost quite a bit of momentum to the PlayStation3 and the XBox360 over the last four years, they have firmly and without a doubt regained their composure to once again sit high upon the minds of gamers worldwide. And with games like this in the works, the force will remain strong with this one (in best Yoda voice). So it's fair to say that Nintendo's brand is extremely strong today.
- How The Brand Can Be Improved: Not everything Nintendo does works out as well as they'd like. Let's just get that out into the open right now. Although it might seem like they can do no wrong, with any entity as large as this, there are sure to be some dull darts that just won't stick in the board.
There is little doubt that the Wii has essentially brought Nintendo from the dregs of next-gen console obscurity to the midst of OMFG I GOTTA HAVE ONE fame and fortune. But forget not, that if the Wii had not come along, I am not so sure that Nintendo would be on this list...at least not with the rave attention they are being given.
What Nintendo must do is strike while the iron is hot and take advantage of the huge boost in momentum that the Wii has brought to their brand. They should focus on helping 3rd party developers create amazing new titles that take full advantage of the wii-mote to further the physical gaming experience that the Wii provides.
Also, they should be pouring money into creating games of their own...that are NOT related to Zelda, Mario, ect. They absolutely must reinvest in themselves to create the next great franchise that will take them into the coming generation of gaming, and the gamers that will be along for the ride. As much as I'm sure Super Smash Brothers Brawl is going to kick ass, it's quite apparent to the keen eye that this is one more iteration of taking the same characters they've been drawing for decades, throwing them into a pot with some new seasoning (ahem, Snake anyone?) and letting the history of those franchises do the heavy lifting.
Soon enough, we're all going to want more...and if Nintendo doesn't mix at least a little new with the old, we just might find ourselves looking elsewhere for that next great experience.
 Sony Entertainment- The History: Sony has undergone huge changes since they first started back in the 1950's in Tokyo, Japan as a radio repair shop tucked away in a building that was severely damaged during World War II. An interesting factoid about the origin of their name is that they picked Sony because it means nothing in any language...and henceforth, they could trademark it so that no one could use it or any iteration of it, and further, it would be pronounced the same in all languages. The world would know immediately who one was speaking of when theword Sony was uttered. Very smart.
Over the years as they grew into the $70 billion dollar multi-national corporation we know today, Sony went on to create some of the most brilliant and advanced electronic consumable goods known to man. Today, Sony has their hands in just about anything considered entertainment or consumer grade electronics, and they do it in a way that few others could possibly fathom due to their huge financial resources, and immense pool of intelligent people who work for the company.
- Why The Brand Is Relevant: Although I could spend another thousand words talking about all of the brilliant and now household named innovations that Sony is responsible for in electronics and media, I'm going to focus on the gaming side of their business by discussion Sony Entertainment's video gaming unit and its various offspring.
Obviously, the most well known of all of the brands within the Sony Entertainment Group is the PlayStation. Sony was the first to put up a true contender to the mighty Sega and Nintendo of the early 1990's when they launched the PlayStation in 1994 in Japan, and in 1995 in the United States. The rest of it is history, as you know, and the PlayStation has given birth to the PlayStation 2, the PlayStation 3 as well as the PlayStation Portable.
Each of these units could be given a page of their own, but for the sake of your reading time and my sleep schedule, let's just say that Sony sure as shit hit one out of the park with the PlayStation lineup of consoles.
Though the PS3 is still young in its product life-cycle, there is no doubt that it is beginning to find its own legs globally and will one day be the dominant console in Sony's lineup. The PlayStation portable is the little handheld that just keeps on going, and with Sony's approach of selling it through to consumers with the mindset that it is as much of a media device as a game device, it is finding ways into the hands of consumers who may not necessarily be hardcore gamers.
Let's shift to games now, for Sony has quite an impressive lineup here as well. A few of Sony's legendary titles that got their start on the original PlayStation console are, Tekken, Metal Gear Solid, Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Twisted Metal, Soul Reaver, Tomb Raider and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater.
The PlayStation 2's lineup is flat out ridiculous, but some of the highlights are SOCOM, the FIFA World Cup series, the Colin McRae franchise, loads of Grand Turismo games and, who could forget, the Grand Theft Auto franchise (which single handedly created a new era in console gaming all by itself).
Though the PlayStation 3 has only been out just a bit over a year, there are more than a few games of note including, Resistance: Fall Of Man, Ridge Racer 7, MotorStorm, Heavenly Sword, Ratchet & Clank, Drake's Fortune and more.
Clearly you can see that Sony has accomplished an insane amount of market penetration in just a short number of years when compared to the likes of Nintendo and other gaming companies such as Sega and that, unfortunately, have simply not been able to stand the test of time. You may not be a fan of Sony products or marketing tactics, but they are as relevant in gaming these days as anyone.
- The Brand Statement: Sony has always been big on showing gameplay footage in advertisements for their consoles. Whether it be some of , or the most , Sony has always tried to promote their product by showing you just how sexy games look on it.
It should be noted that with the release of the PlayStation 3, they took a bit more of an avant-garde approach, as is evident and , in what seems to be an attempt at portraying themselves more interested in simply getting our attention rather than showing us their chops. Given how hard it is to get the attention of the average Gen-X male these days (trust me, I know...I am one), it is no surprise that Sony pulled out all the stops to draw any and all eyes to their latest console.
Much of Sony's advertising is based off of their long history of innovation. They have earned the right to promote themselves and their products any way they choose, and lately they have chosen to focus on the advanced technologies and features built into their creations.
If you recall, we heard as much about the cell processor used in the PlayStation 3 as we did about the console itself. Sony was never one to tell us that the gameplay and interactivity of the PS3 would make us gah-gah overnight, they left that to the Nintendo folks, but they did tell us that their fancy new console could push more pixels, faster and with more realism than any gaming system on the planet. Much of that spin is what got so many people excited about the console in the first place, but when pricing was announced, and consumers felt the gut-shot associated with laying out six-hundred large for a game console, many curled back in fear and looked more closely into the Microsoft and Nintendo offerings.
Still, the PS3 was exactly as advertised...powerful and ahead of its competitors in many ways by years. Once the dust settled and certain innovations like Blu-Ray became more commonplace, the value of the PlayStation 3 became evident, and because of this fact, the PS3 is enjoying strong sales on a global stage.
Advertising innovation...that's Sony's spin, and it works.
- Brand Equity Meter: Sony's name carries more than its fair share of weight in the gaming industry. Plainly put, they are a powerhouse to be reckoned with. What they have done, both sales-wise and industry-impact-wise, with the PlayStation console unit in just over ten years is flat out impressive. Considering how long the likes of Nintendo, Sega and others have been active in the video gaming industry, it is quite an achievement for Sony to have the brand recognition and respect they garner in such a relatively short time in this arena.
The way Sony has tied in so many facets of their Entertainment Group into the gaming landscape should also be noted. They usually follow a blockbuster Hollywood hit with a video game title of the same name. Now, I will admit that most of these games are fair at best, but the amount of press that these games get in forms of media that are frequented by non-gamers who have interest in the movie, is only a good thing for the gaming industry as a whole.
Sony's brand recognition and marketing is so prominent in today's society, that it helps bring people into the gaming fraternity who otherwise may not have considered gamers anything other than people that collect Magic the Gathering cards and have yet to play stinky pinkie with a member of the opposite sex.
Sony makes gaming cool, acceptable and worthy of a look to see what you're missing if you are not a gamer. And that's a good thing because the more gamers there are, the more games there are, the more gaming hardware there is, then all the more more win for us (gamers)!
- How The Brand Can Be Improved: Sony's Achilles heal is simple. They are often too full of themselves and their ideas to consider doing things differently. For instance, Sony would rather create the market, and then sell you products for it. No problem...well, that is unless getting into said market costs you the entry fee of one super expensive gaming console with very few titles at launch to get people excited about the system in the first place. *ahem*
This approach to manufacturing, marketing and distributing products is a risky one, and could one day be very costly for Sony should the moons not align exactly the way they hope. But kudos to them, because thus far, such celestial events have been choreographed perfectly in their favor.
Consider this, for anyone other than the likes of Sony or Microsoft to put out a gaming console, knowing full well that each sale costs you a fair piece of coin, such notions would get you fired from any rational company on the planet, or worse. It is this mindset that shows Sony's arrogance (much like Microsoft for that matter) in that they just know you're going to spend twice what you did on your last console unit, on their newest one...and that you'll even wait in line for days to do it. But again, we did...and we are sheep for it.
Now, can they get away with this type of organizational directive? You bet they can, with their money, marketing prowess and history of delivering the goods. But one has to stop and wonder, if they're willing to throw away billions of dollars by selling PS3's under their own production costs to get their console unit in our living rooms, just where are they ass-raping us to make this money back in the future? Does anyone really think a console game is worth $60 or more?
My bet is this...In the near future Sony will begin developing huge titles that take advantage of the space they have on a Blu-Ray disc(all good and fine). Although these games have the potential to be very good, and nearly playable forever, I foresee such an initiative having a quite a price tag on it, like in the $100 range. I hope I'm wrong, but Sony has done quite a job of ratcheting up the price of game consoles...and that is not good for anyone.
Sony has to work on bringing costs down, not up. Sure, there are all kinds of features manufacturers can stick in a gaming console...but just because we can, doesn't mean we should. I hope that Sony continues to develop and upgrade not only the PS3, but the next-next-gen version as well. I just hope they focus in keeping prices down and playability up (because it worked for these guys, now didn't it?!). Because let's face it, if the boys at Microsoft see that Sony can charge $700 or more for a console unit and north of $70 for games, don't think for a second that they won't price theirs pretty damn close. And that would suck.
Sony's three P's for the next three years should be, Price, Playability and Portability. Give us reasonably priced, fun to play, and easy to tote around gaming consoles.
 Valve Corportation - The History: Valve was founded back in 1996 by Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington, both previous employees of Microsoft. Their first project began after they acquired a license to use the Quake engine from Id Software for a new and exciting idea they had for a video game title. The name of this game was Half-Life, and is one of the most popular PC games of all time...and to this very day, is one of the most recognized brands itself in the gaming industry.
Over the years, Valve has acquired several creatively driven and successful companies such as TF Software PTY Ltd. (Team-Fortress) and Turtle Rock Studios (Counter-Strike and Left 4 Dead), in an effort to continue to put out interesting and unique titles for various gaming platforms, though with an emphasis on the PC.
In 2002, Valve released their now well-known product distribution client, known as Steam. This has allowed Valve to more effectively battle piracy (the #1 problem in PC gaming today) and expand their channels of distribution at the same time. The added revenue stream of distributing the works of other developers and publishers has seemingly been a huge success for Valve, and will most likely allow them to fund their creative efforts for many years to come, even if their own properties hit a dry spell. We will talk more about Steam in a bit, but for now let's move onto why their brand is relevant.
- Why The Brand Is Relevant: Valve's list of intellectual properties is not necessarily huge, but one must keep in mind that they've been at the development of games for just over ten years now. Compared to many others in this list, that is a drop in the pixel bucket. Some of their best known titles are, Half-Life, HL: Opposing Force, HL: Blue Shift, HL: Decay (PS2 exclusive), Half-Life 2, HL2: Episode 1, HL2: Episode 2, HL2: Episode 3 (in development), Portal and Left 4 Dead (in development).
But what about Counter-Strike?! And Team-Fortress?! Well, to be honest, these were originally community created mods to the original Half-Life game. Luckily, as stated above, Valve saw the major impact that these two mods had on the sales of Half-Life, and made the wise decision to bring these gifted development teams into their welcoming arms. Smart move...very smart. I would venture to say that Counter-Strike, all by itself, sold more copies of Half-Life than the original game did as a standalone product.
The huge impact that Counter-Strike has had on gaming is still felt today, as nearly every squad or team based game that comes out bares some resemblance to the concept of Counter-Strike. But to consider all Source games also part of Valve's offerings, which they are, we will also include Counter-Strike: Source, Day of Defeat: Source and Team-Fortress 2 in their catalog.
Another brand within the brand for Valve is their Steam platform of content distribution we spoke of earlier. Over the last few years, Steam has become a distribution channel for all types and genres of games, from all walks of developers and publishers, and with varying prices based on age of game as well as the name of the developer responsible for said title.
You can download just about everything from the entire Id Software catalog (this is bitchin'!), to the most popular Grand Theft Auto titles, to Sid Meier's sim games, to Call of Duty 4, to Midevil games, to big budget blockbusters like Bioshock, to independent developer titles like Defcon (this is really big for the small development teams, read here for more info), and more.
What Steam has meant to PC gaming is revolutionary. Gamers can now be sitting in front of any PC in the world, login to their Steam account, download every game they've ever bought on the platform and play it as if they were at home in front of their regular gaming rig. This is a powerful tool for gamers worldwide, not to mention people that own and operate gaming cafes (for whom Valve has setup special pricing and programs).
Steam also allows developers to host media such as trailers, in-game video, demos and mods for their games. Do yourself a favor, if you haven't already, and check out some of the media that his available free of charge on Steam. If nothing, it's a great way to kill an hour or so while you download a game or two from the platform itself.
One more point for Steam and we can move on. Steam also allows groups to connect, form and stay informed right on the Steam website, using stats from Valve's library of games. See the StrafeRight Steam group's page for an example.
Steam is a free download at the Steam website, so check it out if you haven't already.
- The Brand Statement: This is a tricky one to say the least. Simply put, Valve doesn't do a whole hell of a lot of advertising. Most of their success has been built off of the Half-Life series. So although they're responsible for over a dozen great games, they are all found within a handful of core titles. This allows Valve to do much of the marketing for their games online, via video game news and review websites like Shacknews and IGN, where they know that world-of-mouth and viral videos will reach far more of their constituents than any other form of media.
What they do give us in the way of trailers usually focuses on in-game action, in real-time, precisely using sound and music together to create the feeling you're deeply immersed in playing the game. Have a look at from back in the late 1990's, and then this from not so long ago. Though the technology is vastly different between these two time-frames, the message and direction of their trailers are clear: These games are fast paced, spooky as all hell, have some great looking environments, and are sure to make you sweat at least a little bit while you're playing through the immersive story lines and adventures. And that they do sir, yes they do.
- Brand Equity Meter: Let's get right to the crux of this section, Valve's customer pull is huge. In fact, it is flat out massive within the PC gaming community. They are, by design, very vocal about where they are in the development cycles of their products, so that gamers far and wide are always talking about what's expected next from the company. The frenzy of internet chatter that can start up with just a few screenshots that are preceded by the Valve logo never ceases to amaze the industry. Plainly put, when Valve talks, people listen...especially when it is about one of their epic tales such as the Half-Life series.
It is probably safe to assume that most of their competitors listen quite intently as well, and with good reason. They are arguably at the forefront of the last big PC gaming push we could see for a while with the growing popularity of the gaming console. The same can be said about their new product releases. People are instantly drawn to Valve's titles...either because they've experienced one of them before, or have heard rave reviews about one somewhere in the media.
Valve's brand is strong, and seemingly only getting stronger with the likes of Left 4 Dead and HL2: Episode 3 on the way. They have earned the respect of many far and wide with their never-ending pursuit of creating the perfect game, no matter what the costs. Case in point, the entire Gabe Newell HL2 release date and subsequent code theft debacle, and the huge flamefests full of conjecture and accusations that ensued online because of it (rofl @ nerd wars). To take a bullet like this, just to know their product would hit shelves when it was ready, not when fans or executives wanted it to be ready (or even when they, themselves, said it would be ready) shows that they care about one thing...making a good game at any and all costs.
- How The Brand Can Be Improved: Valve does just about everything pretty damn well, but it should be noted that there are still ways they can improve. A first step towards total brand synergy, is that they have to admit that the gaming console is here to stay, and that the PlayStation 3 is going to be a big, big part of console sales going forward...things like this just can't be said by Valve towards a company that is bound to be a huge part of their earnings for years to come (editors note: this is coming from a PC gamer that just sold his XBox360 out of boredom with it, facts are facts, the PS3 is selling well).
The main reason that a PC gamer (read: me) is saying these things, is simply a matter of mathematics. The more Valve games that get sold, the more Valve money that goes into developing more Valve games for all platforms. PC-friendly developers like Valve need to more fully embrace the X360 and PS3, and view them as viable solutions for their titles. That means not dumping ports off to a less than capable team either...start these versions from day one so that the couch jockeys can enjoy these games as much as us mouse/keyboard riders. We don't need to see anymore news posts like this...mmmkk?
Valve also needs to do the small things better when it comes to supporting their games as they age down the product life cycle path. For instance, they fully embrace the mod community by releasing development tools for amateur modders to create add-ons for their titles. But what they need to do is start implementing some of these tools (or at least their concepts and uses) into their games.
For example, if you've ever played on a CS:Source or TF2 server, chances are it was running either the Mani-Mod or Beetles Mod admin plug-in. Ok, big deal you might say, so what? Well, the point here is that during Valve's efforts at creating such great multi-player games, they somehow continue to forget that popular online games like this are magnets for asshats that need to be flushed down the internet tubes of ban-dome quite often.
So as the Source engine sits right now, you need to use RCON commands to remove players...and I won't bore the shit out of you, but running RCON commands is like entering small, simple lines of code...not impossible, but it is just not ideal at all for the average gamer to understand this concept and effectively and quickly manage their server. So the point is, why the hell can't Valve build a simple admin interface into the Source engine much as the likes of Splash Damage did with Quake Wars. It really shouldn't be that difficult, especially if modders can do it.
One other thing Valve needs to do better is communicate with the top modders (again, there are many widely used and praised mods out there that nearly every game server admin uses to enhance the overall Source engine game experience) as new updates are coming out. Valve need not let on exactly what is coming in updates, but it would be nice to know that they appreciate the communities and game server providers out there that support their games so well, that they would give some warning of updates that could potentially break plug-ins such as admin tools, stats tracking, server monitoring and more.
Valve depends on the mod communities to keep our attention on aging games by infused them with new and interesting ways to enjoy their titles via mods and plug-ins. Just show these talented amateur coders a little love by not pulling out the carpet from underneath of them from time to time.
Lastly, and possibly most importantly for improving the brand known as Valve...please, for the love of all that is holy, give us a VAC that actually does something! The day a new anti-cheat goes into effect, the entire hacking community seems to have a workaround in hours. There's got to be a better mousetrap guys...please find better ways to catch and deal with cheaters, because what you've got now is like a twister rolling through a farm, it blows goats.
 Honorable Mentions- Alienware - Love them or hate them, Alienware has done more good for the PC gaming industry than may possibly ever be known. From their start in Nelson Gonzalez's garage, to the eventual acquisition by Dell and beyond, Alienware has kept to their roots and has focused on one thing...creating bad ass PC's for gamers that want customizations and solid customer service with a brand image that screams "bring it on bitch!" whenever that fancy tower or laptop is powered on at a LAN party. They've gotten big and more than a few of them are now rich, but it has never gone to their heads...case in point, they actually let us visit them for two afternoons of Q&A with the executives and product managers, as well as a full blown tour of their manufacturing facility (which is absolutely amazing). Great people...that we need more of in this industry, and that's why they get an honorable mention here.
- Atari - Although it's been passed around like a twenty dollar spliff at a rock concert since the 1970's, Atari will always be known as a strong brand for that fancy little black box called the 2600. The machine that single handedly kicked off the console craze, along with one of the most recognizable brand logos of all time, in any industry, is why we'll always hold Atari close to our hearts. From making great games, to the amazing consoles that they ran on, Atari (at one time or more) really knew who gamers were, and what they wanted out of the video gaming experience. I don't think there's anyone reading this over the age of 30 who can say they didn't either own, or really want to own, a 2600. Yars Revenge, Pitfall, Missile Command...mmmm, take me back!
- Razer - The first guys to make gaming peripherals really cool, have done an excellent job of taking their products from boutique, LAN party only finds, to the biggest of the big box retailers...yet still have maintained and air of cool about their products and brand identity. Hats off to the guys that forced companies like Logitech and Microsoft to stop selling us shitty mice and keyboards, and to recognize gamers as real people, with real needs, and real money in our pockets to buy them. From their massive and open support of LAN parties, competitive gaming events and more worldwide, to their down-home and practical approach to manufacturing and marketing their products, Razer is a good company more than deserving of a place on this list. In fact, most of this was written with a Diamondback in my right hand.
In Conclusion...
There are many brands in the gaming industry today. Some are multi-faceted operations with many subsidiaries and multiple revenue streams, while others are single-focus driven and have but one core business model upon which they depend to thrive. Though there are many brands in the marketplace, there are but a few iconic and pioneering brands that have stood the test of time and media lashings to still be relevant today.
Not everyone will agree with this list as it stands (such is the nature of interwebz lists), but I would hope that any fan of gaming, of technology, of creativity and innovation, would find at least a few companies listed above with which they would agree are among the 7 most influential brands in the video gaming industry today.
Last edited by Craig; 03-03-2008 at 11:04 AM.
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03-02-2008, 11:43 PM
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| | I'm astounded... wow what a post. wow. just wow  mg: :thumbup:
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03-02-2008, 11:52 PM
|  | ☺ | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: Worshington
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| | | Very nice Craig!
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03-03-2008, 12:08 AM
|  | west philadelphia born n raised | | Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Killadelphia
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| | | Craig you amaze me. Where do you EVER get the time?
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03-03-2008, 12:15 AM
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| | | holy mother of pearls.....this is awesome craig nice work
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03-03-2008, 12:43 AM
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| | | im speechless here! Wow! nice job |
03-03-2008, 12:46 AM
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| | | awesome craig, plain old awesome
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03-03-2008, 02:49 AM
|  | Worst. Player. Ever. | | Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Oregon
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| | | Good post... kinda slacking here (I didn't really read through it all). Why include Alienware as a honorable mention? Not only are they usually overpriced, they sold out to DELL; the spawn of all things anti-technology. If any company deserves to be honorable mention it probably should be a 3D Realms/Apogee or even Bioware.
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03-03-2008, 07:17 AM
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| | | did you post from the iphone?
(just playing craig nice post)
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03-03-2008, 07:21 AM
|  | Get Off My Lawn | | Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Boston
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| | | what a cool write up. I was hoping you were gonna sack up and number these 1-7. But all these brands people squirm over when they hear something new is in the pot. | | |
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