The point of this week’s comic wasn’t to bash the recent success of the videogame market, but rather to point out that while the industry had a good year, there is still a long way to go in expanding the audience. As of July 2007, the current population of the United States is 301,139,947. Now, let’s add up the total consoles sold across the U.S. by Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony. That would be approximately 22.82 million systems. Mr. Calculator tells me that the industry has sold systems to less than ten percent of the population.

Don’t mistake me because that’s impressive in its own right. However, coffee gets to about thirty percent of the population. Coffee. Imagine what the bigger industries pull. So, in the big picture gaming is in and of itself a niche market and should be embracing whatever it can to increase its foothold in the hearts and minds of the masses. I hope game developers think about that when they come up with new game ideas and concepts. Before approving that big budget for yet another first person shooter, perhaps they could utilize that same budget and cut it into smaller pieces to try making some truly unique games to fit a much larger and more diverse audience.

Or am I just crazy?

- Dover

Greetings from Beau’s Eight-Sided Cage of Pain . . .

So, my good friend Irving linked me to a video for the upcoming Wii title No More Heroes, and I must say I am excited about this one. Though I played Killer 7, also developed by Heroes’ Grasshopper, it did little for me. Chances are that I traded it in for some ridiculous wrestling title. Because that is what I do when I don’t like a game; I trade it for a crappy wrestling title.

On the other hand, this game looks fantastic. What Alpha Nerd doesn’t wet himself for the opportunity to kill someone with a lightsaber – er, "Beam Sword"? Anyway, so far what I have seen of the story intrigues me. So I am to become the world’s best assassin by killing the currently-ranked assassins . . . cool! Pile this atop the sandbox world that I roam around, riding my badass motorcycle doing odd jobs for cash all for the priviledge of entering the boss realm to down another body on my way to glory . . . awesome! Add to that the crazy kill animations and over the top blood-letting . . . did I mention my excitement?

Now this might be a bit premature seeing as I have only seen YouTube videos and read the previews, but I have been waiting for something to keep my attention for more than two minutes on the Wii and maybe this is it. If not, well Smash Bros will be out soon enough to ease the suicidal waiting for the next great Wii title.

Long Live Mr. Nintendo!

- Beau