Casual Gamers: A Little Holiday Shopping Help (3DS,PC, PS3,Wii,360)

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If you haven't really noticed already, many retailer's are already in the process of setting up for their biggest sales quarter of the year. The time of the year in which they crank out the very best of their stock and price with tags that would cause you to salivate a river. Those fake Christmas tree's have already begun going up and declaration's are aplenty. The day of gluttony, for which thousands of turkey's give their lives up to be butchered to feed many and those stores overlook because come on if you're not a grocer, there's no money in backing that holiday, but its the day after. Yes, the day of greed and death. I speak of 'Black Friday' and the weeks beyond.

So, while you're stocking up on the newest of HDTV's, 3DTV's, Blu-ray players and just about anything else, where here, or the purpose of this post is geared more toward gaming, obviously, and what you can do to stretch the worth of that dollar in our time of economic recession. Because we care. See, at times it make not look like it when you've got the die-hards neck and neck arguing out which console is the better, behind it all, the gaming world is kind of like a brotherhood or fraternity. Its all about looking out for your fellow gamer, right? Well then, welcome to the fraternity.

You see, this console generation is much different or unlike any console generation that has ever gone before paving the road for today's innovation and technology with thus the games we enjoy today. What separates this console generation from any other is simply the very definition of the casual gamer. The casual gamer can be classified in so many ways, yes, even those who purchase consoles simply for sports titles every year can be classified as the casual gamer. Its the die-hard or the hardcore that practically lives and breathes gaming playing it all for hours on end and it always up for the next challenge. This has been the past as well as gamers of the past built up of primarily and dominatly the male gamer while his sister or significant other looked on in disgust wondering what we was doing wasting away his life and burning whatever brain cells he may have had left over an electronic video game.

No, today's gaming world is much more different. As technology has grown, things have become far more realistic looking and the world of social networking has come into play, gaming has adopted a new breed of gamer. The casual female gamer, which most women are casual gamers with the select few that are hardcore gamers. Yes, thanks to Nintendo, the gaming world is flooded by female casual gamers like shoebies at a surf competition. For them its all about picking it up for a half-hour and playing at a leisurely pace and then putting it down and doing something else. Their life isn't consumed yet, they've finally caught the craze are beginning to understand what guys have been up to for so many years and what the fuss is all about. The funny thing is, they can't seem to put it down.

As I hang out around gaming stores and watch the foot traffic, I spend a lot of time observing human behavior and its amazing to me how much today, mom's spend around the bargain bins shuffling through games. What's even more entertaining is listening in or present when the sales associate asks about the game and she says she's picking it up for her kids. You then discover her kids are teenage boys that wouldn't be caught dead playing on the Wii game she picked up. You then learn that the same household has an Xbox 360 as well with the Kinect sensor and it all makes sense. Its a cover-up to ensure others don't Mommy has fallen into the same snare as her children she'd be hassling for years about that very subject. Many women openly walk right to the counters and cases and look for themselves. (This is the dead of summer, not holiday season mind you)

So, mothers everywhere, the curtain has been pulled back and we know better. What we also know is that like everyone else that is new to something, there are lessons to be learned and we're going to help you a little to make sure that your shopping is done right this year and hopefully, your dollar is stretched out a little more.

Now, I'm going to warn you, or give the heads up that this is going to feel like a bit of a bash but, all that can be said is that fact is fact. Its going to drive mostly Nintendo fans crazy but again, fact is fact. In fact, this article is mostly intended for the Nintendo Wii and Xbox 360 Kinect as fewer women shop the stores for the PlayStation Move. Sony still seems to remain holding their ground and catering to their hardcore audience more though, don't get us wrong, Sony can be just as guilty, especially on the PlayStation 2.

Women now a-days if they don't have a Nintendo Wii, like the rest of the world, have learned that if their teenage son's have an Xbox 360, they can in part fit in with the crowd and possibly take it to the next level as the Xbox 360 is more about social networking and connecting and guys, woman are 'hen's' and love the latest gossip and will digg it up wherever they can. Woman or more into socially being out in the world and interacting with others rather than caging themselves up like men. Men play games, work on the car or the Harley, work in the background, whatever, but women dress up and go out into the world to be seen, so having a console that allows them that, is appealing to them. ( I know, guys spend just as much time on facebook. Come on, devil's advocate here)

The thing that you've really got to be careful with when it comes to the Xbox 360 Kinect and the Nintendo Wii is practically the same thing. Both devices offer motion control which is all the rave with women today. What you also have to realize are two things. 1) Gaming is a hobby and isn't cheap and 2) Gaming is like picking out cloths or buying make-up or music. Its addicting. Its a drug so to speak that effects parts of the human brain, the brain releasing chemical's at a time that causes the mind to feel satisfaction or pleasure. When the brain is without those chemical's, it falls into withdrawls and has to have more and the individual goes out to find a better high. This isn't something that just happens with drugs. There are all kinds of addictions and gaming is like that. When you experience a really good game and have a lot of fun with it, you want to experience it again but, you've just played this one far too many times so you put it on the shelf or you trade it off to get some money back to put toward a new game.

The problem with that, is that you then get roped into two more things. 1) The sheer power and skill of marketers and marketing campaigns worked by professionals to feed off your addiction causing you to think you're getting great deals even on crap. "If you want me to take a dump in a box and mark it guaranteed I will, I've got spare time. But for your sake and your daughters sake, you may want to consider buying a quality product from me. 2) Is what we in the gaming world like to call shovelware. Very popular term and Nintendo is without question the most guilty of this the PS2 coming in second, the Xbox 360 is third and the PS3 dead last. SHOVELWARE is not a positive word that makes you feel all cozy and happy and warm inside, in fact, its the exact opposite, right?

Nintendo right now, will allow just about anything it can get on the Nintendo Wii. Its that Nintendo is concerned with you having a large library, its all about Nintendo making money. They're a business go figure. There's no rope and club Nintendo and just about anybody can get in. Nintendo doesn't really closely monitor or care what works its way onto their console as long as they get royalties and they can claim that they have the largest game library. Where things do matter to Nintendo, is what's shipping out of their own gate. Nintendo is quick to ensure that all their own games are quality made and will appeal to the average gamer. Other games for them are just a bonus. Microsoft is suffering the same fate the PlayStation 2 has been doing for years, but its okay because it brings in money. Well, not necessarily so.

You see, both EA, Capcom, Sega and Activision have been working tirelessly with Nintendo and the Wii to cater to what hardcore gaming audience that Nintendo has left as many including good friends of mine have abandoned and worked their way to the Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3. You ask them why and they say "Well, I grew up." EA, Capcom and Sega have learned that they've got to be really careful with their strategy and that they're developing for the right console. Hardcore games don't really have a place on the Wii anymore because they don't sell. They've tired and have always ended up taking their biggest games back to the Sony or Microsoft and then develop shovelware for the Wii.

So, here's the big secret and the definition of 'shovelware.' Shovelware are quick games developed for the Wii that will simply bring in money. They're not designed with the same passion for gaming as games like Super Mario Bros, Gears of War, Halo, Uncharted, God of War or Zelda are. Its a quick buck and these games often done quickly and are idea's taken from Nintendo's genius and run through a recycling machine with just different characters and environments but the game is essentially the same. When you look up reviews for these kinds of games, the scores are considerably low down into the 70%, which parents of grad students aren't proud of such a score and below. A lot of the time in the 50% range which is failing.

Also bare in mind that what you're buying is necessary. Again, this is biggest on the Wii. Does it really change the way you play the game to justify the price? Now, I can totally understand having a racing wheel or a gun attachment but, I've seen an inflatable go cart for Mario Kart that you put the Wiimote into the wheel and off you go and you're charged a premium price for plastic and air. Air that most likely puts strain on your lungs. There are other attachments such as bat ends, golf clubs or tennis rackets. You don't find the core gamer looking at this kind of stuff because they aren't going to use it. They've got time and experience in this area and have sunk a lot of money into their hobby and have learned the wisest of ways and poorest of ways of investment. Learn from them. Take the time to talk with them if you see them staring at the game case. Majority of the time, they'll help you and be happy to do so because, a lot of the time, they're supporting their 'Team.' Like the Lakers, Steelers, Yankee's, Brazil or Red Wings. They root for Nintendo, Sony or Microsoft and generally have a preference and will show you what's fun and what's a recycled experience. They've gotten the wrap for being uneducated or seeming stupid but, some of them, today's world is all about technology and computers and for some that's their specialty and when you've discovered something of your's has been hacked, you wouldn't call them uneducated at all. (Gamers aren't like that, its a analogy.)

So, bottom line is, just be careful when you're out shopping if you're new to gaming world. Find those around you and ask questions. Gather a lot of opinions and spend you money wisely. Rather than buying the same game you'd just played a week ago could have been money used toward a family trip, a new TV or something for little Mary or Johnny for Christmas. We're here to help make sure that your gaming experience is the best of it because gaming is a hobby and its expensive and becomes an addiction that's of the best kind. We love it.

So, be sure to keep checking back for all things Nintendo, all things PlayStation, all things Xbox 360, all things motion controlled gaming and all things gaming as we keep you inside the X-Gaming Zone every day right here online inside the XZONE!