Dance Fever is Contagious! Just Dance 3 Report

Coffee Beans
     Just Dance 3 was released on October 7, 2011, and it was the first game in the Just Dance series to be a multi-console release.
     Just Dance 3 was developed by Ubisoft Paris, and of course published by Ubisoft.
     The game received an ESRB rating of “Everyone 10+” with “Lyrics” listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of.

     Just how much have Wii owners been dancing with Just Dance 3, and how well does the game appear to be selling? Let’s take a look!

How many hours have you been dancing?

The Brew
     Just Dance 3 has 10,847 Wii owners that have reported game-play data, and the game’s average play-time per day/session is 1 Hour 32 Minutes. The average play-time per day/session simply means that each time Wii owners are firing up Just Dance 3, they are dancing for an hour and a half on average.

     Just how well has Just Dance 3 been selling though? I think the image below should put to rest any doubt the series is doing extremely well for Ubisoft, and I believe we will see Just Dance 4 in 2012:

I wonder what the ROI is for the games shown?

     As the image above shows, Just Dance 3 on the Wii has been ranked #1 on Amazon.com for at least the last three days, every time I have checked Amazon.com’s “Top 100 Video Games” list. I really think this should put to rest any/all doubts that third parties can find success on the Wii. Just Dance 3 has been outselling Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3, Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword, and many other games on Amazon.com, that I wouldn’t have expected it to at this point.

Caffeinated Thoughts
     Here’s something fun from my caffeinated thoughts, be the first U.S. resident to email me(Scott@CoffeeWithGames.com) Just Dance 3’s Wii’s “professional” review score average/percentage on GameRankings.com, for example is it 65.00% or maybe 100.00%, and I will mail you one package of Ed Hardy Energy Sticks to help keep you dancing/gaming through the night! When you email me the “professional” review score average, I will update “The Brew” section with the “professional” and customer review scores as I normally show them in other posts.
     I have not played any of the Just Dance games, but after watching trailers/videos for many of the games, I can see the appeal. If you have not seen Just Dance 3’s debut trailer, take a look at the video below:

     If you missed it, go back and watch the kid dancing around the .15 second mark. I still LOL at him, the poor guy!
     As for the data, Just Dance 3’s data debuted in 52 days, which is slightly longer than Just Dance 2’s data did last year; but I think it’s impressive considering the game is available on more than just the Wii.

     While Just Dance 3 isn’t on my Christmas list (yet), as I mentioned above, I definitely can see how people enjoy this game and the fact that it is once again selling, apparently, extremely well, I think speaks volumes for how much fun people are having with the game/series.

Questions
     Have any of you been playing Just Dance 3, or have it on your Christmas list? If you have been playing Just Dance 3, do you think it is the best Just Dance game to be released? 
     Is it your first game in the Just Dance series, or have you been a fan of the series since the original Just Dance, and you played them all so far?

If any of you are interested in Just Dance 3 you can see the console versions on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B0053BG26C http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B0053BG122 http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B0053BG1EU

Max & the Magic Marker – Hours Drawn

Coffee Beans
     Max & the Magic Marker was released on March 8, 2010 through the Wii’s WiiWare service at a pricepoint of 1,000 Wii Points, which is $10.
     The game was developed by Press Play, and received an “Everyone” rating from the ESRB, with “Comic Mischief” listed as content for gamers/parents to be aware of.

     Max has drawn his debut onto the Nintendo Channel, so let’s take a look at how many hours Wii owners have reported playing Max & the Magic Marker!

The game has a coffee connection, via a cheat’s name.  Do you know it?

The Brew
     Max & the Magic Marker has about 7,001 Wii owners that have reported game-play data through the Wii’s Nintendo Channel.
     The game’s average play-time per day/session reported is 1 Hour 6 Minutes.
     Max & the Magic Marker’s United States WiiWare release has made Press Play about $70,010 over the last year and a half, before taxes and profit sharing with Nintendo, based on the number of players reporting data and the game’s $10 price point.

Filtered Thoughts
     I own Max & the Magic Marker on the Wii, and I really enjoyed my time with the game.  If you missed my Max & the Magic Marker review, you can read it HERE.
     I also did a post of a challenge of sorts I competed in, against WiiLoveIt.com, where they posted a video of a speedrun through one of the game’s levels, and I accepted the challenge by doing my own speedrun through the same level.  You can see my speedrun through Max & the Magic Marker’s first level below:

     Also, here’s a quick video showing off a seesaw contraption I built in the game, which is required randomly in different levels throughout the game:

     Seeing Max & the Magic Marker debut on the Nintendo Channel is encouraging I think, especially considering many WiiWare games released before Max & the Magic Marker have not even debuted.
     While I enjoyed Max & the Magic Marker on the Wii and recommend it to others, the game is available on a number of consoles/platforms.  You can currently purchase it for the PC, iPod/iPhone, and this Tuesday, October 18, the game will be releasing on the PlayStation 3 with Sony PlayStation Move support.  The game will also be releasing on the Nintendo DS this holiday season, on November 8.  The Nintendo DS version will have a MSRP of $29.99, which I find odd compared to the other versions already available, but maybe the Nintendo DS market has a different target audience all-together?
     As for purchasing it, the PC version may be the route to go if you’re in the United States, because the PC version is cheaper than the WiiWare version now, and it also has a code for the game’s soundtrack that you can unlock by completing the game 100%; which unfortunately, the United States’ WiiWare version does not have.  The PC version of Max and the Magic Marker can be purchased HERE, for only $6.99.

Questions
     Have any of you played any version of Max & the Magic Marker, and if so, what did you think about the game?  Also, which version did you play?
     If you have played multiple versions of the game, is there one version you would recommend above the other versions?

You can see Max & the Magic Marker’s Nintendo DS listing on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B000S44NV0

Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension – Hours Report

Does Perry the Platypus drink coffee?  Find out HERE!

Coffee Beans
     Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension was released on August 2, 2011 with a MSRP of just $39.99.  It was developed by High Impact Games, and published by Disney Interactive Studios.
     The game received an ESRB rating of “Everyone 10+” with “Cartoon Violence” listed as content for parents/gamers to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners reported battling Dr. Doofenshmirtz and his evil thingaminators in the last 2 months?  Let’s take a look!

Does Perry the Platypus drink coffee?  Find out HERE!

Approx. Number of Players Having Reported Data
     Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension has about 5,830 Wii owners that have reported play-time data since the game released in August.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours
     The game has 50,573 Total Hours of game-play reported on its debut, with an average play-time of 8 Hours 40 Minutes “Per person” reporting data.
     Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension’s average play-time per day/session reported is 2 Hours 49 Minutes.

Sales Information
     The game’s current Amazon.com sale rank is #365, and it is selling for $39.96.
     (Sale rank and price recorded around 11:00PM on October 5, 2011.)

Review Score Averages
     Across the 2nd Dimension’s “professional” review score average is 74.75%, based on 4 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     The game has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 14 customer reviews.
     Phineas’ and Ferb’s latest game adventure has an 81.42% customer review score average, when the reviews are converted to a 100% review scale.
     (Review score averages recorded around 11:00PM on October 5, 2011.)

Filtered Thoughts
     Phineas and Ferb was another show we started watching through Netflix’s streaming service with our oldest son.  While he probably couldn’t follow what was happening in the show when we started watching it, the show provided a good distraction and background noise; but like another show, soon I found we had watched all of the available episodes, some two or three times.  Our oldest little bean will request to watch the show by saying, “Ferb!”, so I think he’s understanding it more now.
     Like that other show, I also learned the theme song for Phineas and Ferb and have come to enjoy some of the characters on the show; specifically I enjoy the running relationship between Perry and Dr. Doofenshmirtz.

     While I have not played Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension, I am surprised to see the game’s average hours “Per person”, or console, at more than 8 hours.  Tony, from Nintendo-Okie.com, reviewed it and clocked about 3.5 hours with the game, so I think the reported game-play hours show the game is definitely being played more often, and/or by more than one person; compared to Tony’s time with the game.
     If you have not seen any footage of the game, below is a video containing two trailers from the game that I compiled together:

Questions
     Have any of you played Phineas and Ferb: Across the 2nd Dimension, and if so, what do you think about the game?
     Have any of you watched the Phineas and Ferb show, and perhaps are fans of it also?

If any of you are interested in the game you can see prices on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank&bc1=000000&IS2=1&bg1=FFFFFF&fc1=000000&lc1=0000FF&t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=as4&m=amazon&f=ifr&ref=ss_til&asins=B004OQGXX4

Smashing Success, or Flinging Failure – FlingSmash’s Debut Hours

Coffee Beans
     FlingSmash was released for the Wii on November 7, 2010.  The game was part of a controller bundle with a MSRP of $49.99, which included the game and a Wii Remote+.
     The game was developed by Artoon and published by Nintendo.  It is listed as an “Action Sidescroller” by Nintendo, and can be played by 1 or 2 players.
     FlingSmash received an “Everyone” rating from the ESRB with “Mild Cartoon Violence” listed as content for gamers/parents to be aware of.

     Do the reported game-play hours for FlingSmash show it as a smashing success, or more of a flinging failure with 253 days of data reported on its debut?  Let’s take a look!

Hours shown are for United States of America Wii owners that report game-play data via the Nintendo Channel, and the hours shown are not for all Wii owners that have played the game.

Approx. Number of Players Having Reported Data
     FlingSmash had about 17,070 Wii owners that reported game-play data through the Nintendo Channel from the game’s release on November 7, 2010 until July 18, 2011.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours
     FlingSmash had 50,092 Total Hours of game-play reported for its debut, with the average play-time being 2 Hours 56 Minutes “Per person” that reported data.
     The game’s average play-time is just over 57 minutes per session.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price
     FlingSmash’s Amazon.com sale rank is #1,879 and it is currently selling for $31.99.
     (Sale rank and price recorded around 4:00PM on July 31, 2011.)

Review Score Averages
     FlingSmash’s “professional” review score average is 57.44%, based on 18 reviews on GameRankings.com.

    The FlingSmash bundle currently has a 3.5 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 101 customer reviews.
     The game’s customer review score average is 72.07% when the reviews are converted to a 100% review scale.
     (Review score averages recorded around 4:00PM on July 31, 2011.)

Filtered Thoughts
     I haven’t played FlingSmash, and at this point I doubt I will unless we end up buying the FlingSmash bundle at a later point.  Being that I already own a Nyko Wand+, which is basically a Wii Remote+, and our neighbors have let us borrow an additional Wii MotionPlus unit with Wii Sports Resort, I don’t see us purchasing an additional controller soon.
     If you have not seen anything about FlingSmash, the trailer below is designed to give you an idea of how the game plays using the Wii MotionPlus:

 
     As for the reported game-play hours, the fact it took FlingSmash a little more than 8 months to debut on the Nintendo Channel I think shows a few things:
     1)  The game is very short, as the reported “average” seems to verify
     2)  Wii owners that are playing it, perhaps aren’t playing it again once they beat it
     3)  Bundling a game with an accessory doesn’t always guarantee great success

     The few Wii games that have been bundled with accessories before FlingSmash, such as Wii Play and Link’s Crossbow Training, have been very successful and all have more than one million hours of game-play reported.
     While FlingSmash is doing better than some other Wii games that have not even debuted yet, such as Spyborgs and Cursed Mountain, as well as many others that were released before it, the fact that it was bundled with a Wii Remote+ during the holiday season really made me think it was going to debut a lot faster than it did.
     Considering FlingSmash took 8 months to reach the 50,000 “Total Hours” to debut, I doubt the game will cross one million hours of reported game-play during the Wii’s life-cycle, which seems to be near its end.

     My verdict on whether the game has been a “smashing success, or flinging failure” would be more to the “flinging failure” side as for reported game-play hours because this wasn’t just a random third party game that released, but it was a game published directly by Nintendo and bundled with a controller during a holiday season.

Questions
     Did any of you purchase the FlingSmash/Wii Remote+ bundle, because you needed/wanted an extra Wii Remote with the Wii MotionPlus unit built in?
     If you purchased the bundle just for the Wii Remote+, did you perhaps find yourself giving FlingSmash a try and enjoying it, and is it a bundle you would recommend, because of the game, to other Wii owners looking for an extra Wii Remote?

If any of you are interested in FlingSmash, you can see the price for the game only on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B004FEI752&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr  

>Conduit Travel – Conduit 2’s Hours Arrive

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Coffee Beans:
     Conduit 2 was released on April 19, 2011 with a MSRP of $49.99.  The game was a follow-up sequel to The Conduit which originally released on June 23, 2009.  Conduit 2 has not been published for any other console and is a FPS exclusive for the Wii, like the original game.
     Conduit 2 was developed by High Voltage Software and published by Sega.  The game received a “Teen” rating from the ESRB with “Animated Blood, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence” listed as content for gamers/parents to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent battling in Conduit 2, with 42 days of game-play reported?  Let’s take a look!

Hours shown are for United States of America Wii owners that report game-play data via the Nintendo Channel.  The hours shown are not for all Wii owners that have played Conduit 2.

Approx. Number of Players Having Reported Data:
     Conduit 2 has 2,353 Wii owners that have reported game-play hours through the Wii’s Nintendo Channel, in the last 42 days since the game released.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours:
     Conduit 2 has 50,226 Total Hours of game-play reported on its debut, with the average play-time being 21 Hours 21 Minutes “Per person”.
     The game’s average play-time per session is just over 2 Hours 36 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Conduit 2’s Amazon.com sale rank is #3,111, and it is currently selling for $46.99.
     Sale rank and list price recorded around 4:45PM on May 30, 2011.

Review Score Averages:
     Conduit 2’s “professional” review score average is 67.00%, based on 35 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     *NOTE:  If you are not aware, Conduit 2 and HVS have been at the center of Amazon.com review bombings.  You can read about the issue HERE.
     The game currently has a 3 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 34 “customer” reviews.
     Conduit 2’s customer review score average is 55.29%, when all the reviews are converted to a 100% review scale.
     After going through Amazon.com’s Conduit 2 reviews and removing the apparent “bomb” reviews that gave no useful information, other than to give it a bad rating; Conduit 2’s customer review score average comes out to be 84.44%, based on just 18 of the 34 “customer” reviews on Amazon.com.


     Review score averages recorded around 4:45PM on May 30, 2011.

Filtered Thoughts:
     If you have not seen anything about Conduit 2, the trailer below may give you an idea of what to expect from the game.

     I still have not played Conduit 2, but as I have said before, I really want to give the game a try.  I enjoyed the first game’s single-player campaign, and the story/setting of the game, and I want to see how that has changed in Conduit 2.

     As for the reported game-play data, seeing Conduit 2 take only 42 days to debut is pretty good I think, especially considering that the game released with no advertisements, and also the review fiasco that happened.
     I think based off the Amazon.com sale rank and “customer” reviews situation though, that it is pretty obvious the leaked email from HVS has done more harm, than good, for Conduit 2.
     If you are wondering how Conduit 2 has done compared to the original, here are some quick differences based on the debut hours for both games.  Conduit 2 took longer to debut and with fewer “Total Hours” hours reported, than The Conduit did back in 2009.  Conduit 2 has about 24,000 fewer “Total Hours” reported than The Conduit did for its debut, and Conduit 2 took 28 days longer to have its hours show up.

     I think it will be interesting to see if Conduit 2’s average hours reported “Per person” continue to increase at a steady pace, or if they hover in the “20 Hours” range like the original game.

Questions:
     Have any of you been playing Conduit 2 since it released?  If so, have you found yourself playing more of the game’s online multi-player, or perhaps the local multi-player and single-player campaign?

If any of you are interested in Conduit 2, you can see new and used prices on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B003GB4UXI&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr  

>Battling for Hours – Heavy Fire: Special Operations’ Report

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Coffee Beans:
     Heavy Fire: Special Operations was released on the WiiWare service on July 26, 2010.  The game was developed and published by Teyon, andHF:SO can be downloaded for just 500 Wii Points.
     The game recevied an ESRB rating of “Teen” with content of “Blood, Violence” listed for gamers/parents to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent battling in the “terrorized Middle East” with the missions in Heavy Fire: Special Operations?  Let’s take a look!

Hours shown are for United States of America Wii owners, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Having Reported Data:
     Heavy Fire: Special Operations has 15,255 Wii owners that have reported their play-time data, through the Wii’s Nintendo Channel.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours:
     HF:SO has 50,157 Total Hours of game-play reported for its debut, with an average play-time of 3 Hours 17 Minutes “Per person” having reported data.
     Heavy Fire: Special Operation has an average play-time per session of just over 44 minutes.

Sales Information:
     Heavy Fire: Special Operations is currently sitting at the #13 spot in the WiiWare’s “Popular Titles” section as of 12:20PM on May 10, 2011.  The WiiWare “Popular Titles” section lists the most current twenty WiiWare games that are selling the best(I believe), making them the most popular.
     HF:SO’s American WiiWare release has made Teyon about $76,275 before taxes, and before profit sharing with Nintendo; based on just the game’s $5 price point and the approximate number of players having reported data.

Review Score Average:
     Heavy Fire: Special Operations’ “professional” review score average is 33%, based on just 3 reviews on GameRankings.com.
     GameRankings.com only posts reviews from sites that submit/review a certain required number of games on a monthly basis, for a regular time.  This means sites that don’t try to get their reviews posted on GameRankings.com, or perhaps sites that don’t meet the minimum requirements, will not have their reviews show up in the “professional” review score average for games.

     One site that reviews a good number of games, but that doesn’t have their reviews posted on GameRankings.com, is Nintendo-Okie.com.  Tony, from Nintendo-Okie, reviewed Heavy Fire: Special Operations last year after it released and he gave it a 3 out of 5 Stars rating, which would be almost double the “professional” review score average for the game.  You can read Tony’s review for Heavy Fire: Special Operations HERE.

Odd Bean:
     I don’t know why, I just find it interesting that Heavy Fire: Special Operations had its debut the week after a certain “special operation” in the Middle East the prior week, took out one of the world’s most wanted men.

Filtered Thoughts:
     If you have not seen anything about Heavy Fire: Special Operations, the video below is a trailer Teyon put together when the game released last year.

     As for the data, Heavy Fire: Special Operations took 288 days from its release for game-play hours to debut on the Wii’s Nintendo Channel.  For a WiiWare game that was a new IP, debuting in less than a year is really good; especially when considering there are many retail Wii games that were released before HF:SO, that have not yet debuted.
     The average play-time per session being about 44 minutes I think shows the game provides an arcade type experience, that gamers can sit down with and play in short spells without investing hours at a time.
     The “professional” review scores for this game seem to follow in line with many successful retail Wii game reviews, like Just Dance; which is why I linked to Tony’s review so you could read a differing opinion that was above the “average” review for the game.

     I have not played Heavy Fire: Special Operations, but I have been impressed with how Teyon seems to be promoting the game still with competitions, and promoting its WiiWare sequel Heavy Fire: Black Arms.

Questions:
     Have any of you played Heavy Fire: Special Operations?  If so, what do you think about the game?  Do you feel the game is worth the $5 asking price, or should Wii owners perhaps look to its sequel instead, Heavy Fire: Black Arms?

     If you are interested in Heavy Fire: Special Operations, you can use a credit/debit card to purchase the game directly from the Wii’s Shop Channel or you can use a Wii Points card which is linked/shown below.
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B001TOQ8KC&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr  

Michael Jackson The Experience Debut Game-Play Hours

Coffee Beans:
     Michael Jackson The Experience(abbreviated MJTE) was released on November 23, 2010 in North America with a MSRP of $49.99.  It was developed by Triumph International and published by Ubisoft.
     The Wii version of Michael Jackson The Experience contains 26 songs(27 with the “Special Edition”) that players can dance to; and the Wii version also has 4-player support.

     How has the sales success of Michael Jackson The Experience translated into reported game-play hours, in the 49 days reported since its release?  Let’s take a look!

Hours shown are for the United States of America, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Michael Jackson The Experience has 14,426 Wii owners reporting game-play data through the Wii’s Nintendo Channel, for its “hours” debut.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Michael Jackson The Experience has 62,936 Total Hours of game-play reported for its debut, with an average of 4 Hours 22 Minutes “Per person” reporting data.
     MJTE’s average play-time per session(or day) reported is just over 1 Hour 27 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Michael Jackson The Experience’s Amazon.com sale rank is #18, and it is currently on sale for $39.99.
     (Sale rank and advertised price recorded around 11:05PM, on 1-15-11)

Review Score Averages:
     Michael Jackson The Experience’s “professional” review score average is 59.61%, based on 18 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     MJTE has a 5 out of 5 Stars rating, based on 241 customer reviews on Amazon.com.
     Michael Jackson The Experience’s Amazon.com customer review score percentage was 95.10%, when I converted the customer reviews to a 100% review scale.
     You can see the customer review score breakdown in the image below:

     (Review score averages recorded around 11:05PM on 1-15-11)

Filtered Thoughts:
     Ubisoft announced on January 6, that Michael Jackson The Experience had already sold 2 million copies throughout the U.S. and Europe.  When the NPD data for December 2010 was released this last Thursday, Michael Jackson The Experience was listed at the #8 spot, which included the Wii, NDS, and PSP versions of the game.

     I was actually surprised that MJTE took this long to debut, and perhaps the game was given as a gift over the holidays, and many people didn’t play it until they received it?  I don’t know…
     You may have seen(or not) when I reported Just Dance 2’s debut game-play hours, that game took just 42 days to debut, 7 days fewer than Michael Jackson The Experience did…so there definitely was another established dancing game competing against MJTE when it released.
     I think it will be interesting to see how much the data changes in the next few months.

     The original Just Dance was basically trashed by “professional” reviewers, resulting in a 48.41% review score average on GameRankings.com, based on just 17 reviews.  Just Dance’s Amazon.com customer reviews though, I think show a different story, as the game has a 88.07% review score, based on 696 customer reviews.
     I think on the review front Michael Jackson The Experience was met with the same issues that the original Just Dance was, as the difference in “professional” and “customer” review scores is pretty drastic.

     I think if you enjoyed Michael Jackson’s music, it appears from customer reviews, you will enjoy Michael Jackson The Experience.

Questions:
     Have any of you played Michael Jackson The Experience, and if so, what did you think about it?  Would you lean more towards the “professional” reviews, or more towards the “customer” reviews for the game?
     I haven’t played it, and I probably won’t unless a friend has it and we somehow end up with it.

If any of you are interested in Michael Jackson The Experience, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com linked below.
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B00434FED2&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr  

Sonic Colors’ Game-Play Hours Debut

Coffee Beans:
     Sonic Colors was released on November 16, 2010, in North America; with a MSRP of $49.99.  Sonic Colors was developed by Sonic Team, and published by Sega.

     Sonic’s latest Wii adventure took 21 days for its game-play data to appear on the Nintendo Channel.
     How many hours have Wii owners spent in Dr. Eggman’s amusement park with Sonic, during the 21 days reported?  Let’s take a look!

Would you like room for Wisps with your coffee?

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Sonic Colors has 5,910 Wii owners reporting their play-time data, on its Nintendo Channel debut.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Sonic Colors has 57,871 Total Hours of game-play reported for its debut.  Sonic Colors’ average play-time “Per person” reporting data is 9 Hours 48 Minutes, with an average play-time per session of just over 2 Hours 21 Minutes.
     Wii owners have averaged about 2,755 game-play hours per day in Dr. Eggman’s amusement park, in the 21 days reported.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Sonic Colors’ Amazon.com sale rank is #34, and is currently selling for $39.96.
     (Sale rank and advertised price recorded around 1:40AM on 12-7-10)

Review Score Averages:
     Sonic Colors’ review score average is 78.03%, based on 30 “professional” reviews on GameRankings.com.
     (Review score averages recorded around 1:40AM on 12-7-10)

     Based on 22 customer reviews on Amazon.com, Sonic Colors has a 4.5 out of 5 Stars rating, basically a 90% average.

Agree? Or, disagree?

Filtered Thoughts:
     11 years, 2 months, 28 days; that’s how long it’s been since I have purchased a Sonic game.  Sonic Colors’ trailers have me very interested in the game, as some game-play from the trailers remind me of Sonic Adventure.  I don’t know a lot about Sonic Colors, other than the trailers I have watched, and the few pieces of reviews I have read or heard about the game.
     Here is just one trailer for Sonic Colors that shows off a good bit of game-play:

     Considering that Sonic Colors released in the middle of November, with a bunch of high profile games; I think the reported game-play data is encouraging.  It may not be a first-person shooter, or even a Nintendo title; but I think Sonic Colors’ debut game-play hours show that there is room for Sega’s mascot on Nintendo’s console.

Questions:
     I know some of you played Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, but did any of you purchase and play through Sonic Colors yet?  If so, what did you think about it?  Would you recommend one over the other, or both?


If anybody is interested in Sonic Colors for the Wii, you can see prices listed on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B002I0IIPY&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr  

Donkey Kong Country Returns’ Hours Played Debut – Gamers Going Ape?

Coffee Beans:
     Donkey Kong Country Returns was released on November 21, 2010, in North America; with a MSRP of $49.99.  Donkey Kong Country Returns(DKCR) was developed by Retro Studios, and published by Nintendo.

     It took 16 days for Donkey Kong’s new game to have game-play data appear on the Nintendo Channel.
     How many hours have Wii owners reportedly spent helping Donkey Kong get his stolen banana hoard back?  Let’s take a look!

The debut game-play hours shown are for the United States of America Wii owners, not world-wide.

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Donkey Kong Country Returns has 10,503 Wii owners reporting their play-time data, on its debut through the Nintendo Channel.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Donkey Kong Country Returns has 84,999 Total Hours of game-play reported for its debut, with an average play-time of 8 Hours 6 Minutes “Per person” reporting data.
     The debut average play-time per session for Donkey Kong Country Returns is just over 2 Hours 21 Minutes.
     Wii owners have averaged about 5,312 game-play hours each day playing DKCR, over the 16 days reported.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Donkey Kong Country Returns’ Amazon.com sale rank is #2, and is currently selling for $43.54.
     (Sale rank and price captured around 3:00PM EST, on 12-6-10)

Review Score Averages:
     Donkey Kong Country Returns’ review score average is 88.03%, based on 32 “professional” reviews on GameRankings.com.
     (Review score averages recorded around 3:00PM EST, on 12-6-10)

     Amazon.com shows DKCR with a 4.5 out of 5 Stars rating, basically a 90% average; based on 43 customer reviews.

How many “Stars” would you give it?

Filtered Thoughts:
     I haven’t purchased or played Donkey Kong Country Returns.  It is on my radar though, because of the cooperative mode it offers; and I think it’s a game Mrs. CoffeewithGames and I would enjoy together.
     Donkey Kong Country Returns’ 10,503 players reporting game-play data on its debut, is the third highest number for a Nintendo published Wii game this year.  I’m actually surprised the number is not slighty higher, considering it is Nintendo’s big holiday release title; but perhaps DKCR will see a significant increase in the number of players reporting data after Christmas this year.
     I definitely don’t think the initial number of players reporting data will be a reflection of long-term sales for the game; as the current Amazon.com sale rank is encouraging considering how many other high profile games were released in November.
     Also, Nintendo has promoted Donkey Kong Country Returns with at least two commercials so far, and you can see them in the YouTube video below:

Questions:
     Have any of you already played Donkey Kong Country Returns?  If so, what do you think of what you have played of DKCR?  If you haven’t played Donkey Kong’s new game, are you expecting to play it soon?


If anybody is interested in Donkey Kong Country Returns, and you haven’t purchased it yet; you can see prices listed on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B003ZHMMEM&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr  

The Party Has Started – Wii Party Data Debut

Coffee Beans:
     Wii Party was released on October 3, 2010, in North America; with a MSRP of $49.99.  Wii Party was developed by Nd Cube and Nintendo EAD, and published by Nintendo.

     The debut game-play hours below are for the United States of America Wii owners, not world-wide.  So, from October 3 through November 1, how many hours did Wii owners party with Wii Party?  Let’s take a look…

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Wii Party had 5,475 Wii owners reporting their play-time data, for its debut on the Nintendo Channel 30 days after it released.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Wii Party has 54,046 Total Hours reported for its debut, with an average of 9 Hours 53 Minutes per person reporting data.

     The debut average play-time “party” session for Wii Party is just over 2 Hours 18 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Wii Party’s Amazon.com sale rank is currently #9, and is selling for $46.99. (recorded around 10:45PM on 11-4-10)

Review Score Averages:
     Wii Party’s review score average on GameRankings.com is 73.33%, based on 21 “professional” reviews.

     Amazon.com shows Wii Party having a 4 out of 5 Star rating, based on 20 customer reviews.
     You can see the customer review score breakdown in the picture below:

Thoughts:
     For data comparison, Wii Party took 14 days longer than Kirby’s Epic Yarn did, to have data debut on the Nintendo Channel.
     I have not played Wii Party, and I don’t plan to play Wii Party.  Mrs. CoffeewithGames got us started with the Rayman Raving Rabbids party mini-game games, and we own the first three in that series.  I personally don’t see what Wii Party offers, to justify spending $50 on it at this point.
     I have stated before in a discussion of Wii Party on another site, that I feel like Wii Party is a game Nintendo has had sitting around since 2007 or 2008,  just waiting to release it with the “Wii” name hoping it would sell tons.
     The reason I think Wii Party is an older game that has been sitting around, is because Wii Party doesn’t have online functionality of any sort, doesn’t use the Wii Balance Board, and most importantly, it doesn’t use Wii MotionPlus in any way.  It just seems really odd to me, for Nintendo to release Wii Party this far into the Wii’s life cycle, and it not use any peripheral that’s been out.
     The fact that Kirby’s Epic Yarn debuted faster than Wii Party, makes me wonder if perhaps Wii owners aren’t really into Wii Party…or perhaps it will end up being a huge Christmas gifted game, and the hours will improve slowly but surely.

Questions:
     Have any of you played Wii Party?  If so, what do you think of it?  Is it worth the $50 if you already own other Wii party games?


     If anybody is interested in Wii Party, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com linked below:
http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=coffeew-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B003O6DZSQ&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr