Hours spent web-slinging? Spider-Man: Edge of Time Hours Report

Coffee Beans
     Is Spider-Man amazing? According to his latest movie’s title, The Amazing Spider-Man, he is. I personally find it amazing how much money each movie has made, but that’s a topic for another day, maybe on another site.
     From my count, the Wii has had six video games with “Spider-Man” in their titles. At least two of the games have been based directly around Spider-Man movies; those being Spider-Man 3 and the recently released The Amazing Spider-Man.
     Today, we’re taking a look at one of the Spider-Man Wii games not directly based on a movie though, Spider-Man: Edge of Time.

     Spider-Man: Edge of Time was released on October 4, 2011 for the Wii with with a MSRP of $49.99. The game was developed by Beenox and published by Activision, and received an ESRB rating of “Teen” with “Mild Language, Suggestive Themes, Violence” listed as content for gamers and parents to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent web-slinging in Spider-Man: Edge of Time since the game released? Brew yourself some coffee, and let’s take a look!

Data shown is for U.S. Wii owners only, not world-wide.

The Brew
     Spider-Man: Edge of Time has 9,636 U.S. Wii owners that have reported game-play hours through the Nintendo Channel, with 286 days possibly reported. The game has an average play-time per day/session of 2 Hours 14 Minutes, which I think is interesting because it is just about the length of each Spider-Man movie that has released since the original Spider-Man in 2002.

     What did the critics and customers think about Spider-Man: Edge of Time, and do the review scores show a big difference between the customers’ and critics’ enjoyment from the game?
     The game has a “professional” critic review score average of 61.14% based on 7 reviews on GameRankings.com, while the customer review score average for Edge of Time is 85.00% based on 8 reviews on Amazon.com.
     I would say an almost 25% higher customer review score average over the critic, is a pretty significant difference.

Caffeinated Thoughts
     I enjoyed the Spider-Man universe when I was younger, and when writing this post I remembered that I had played a handheld Spider-Man game when I was much younger. After doing some searches, I found the portable Spider-Man game I poured many hours into as a child.

Source: HandheldMuseum.com.

     The second Spider-Man game I can remember playing is Spider-Man: The Movie, which I purchased from Babbage’s the day it released at our local mall for my GameCube. It only took me a few days of playing the game before I finished it though, so I returned it to Babbage’s for a full store credit, or refund.
     Since the original Spider-Man movie and its sequel though, I haven’t really followed much on the Spider-Man games. With The Amazing Spider-Man movie and video game both releasing within the last month, I decided to take a look at the data for the other Spider-Man Wii games, and the trailer for Spider-Man: Edge of Time is what caught my attention. You can see it below:
   

     Why did the trailer catch my attention? First, it starts off early by asking an important question that has been debated for at least a few thousand years now, “What happens after we die?” Something to think about for sure.
     It also seems to show that Edge of Time has a different setting from the typical web-slinging Spider-Man games, perhaps with more inside battles and not as much open web-slinging through the city? At least that was my impression from watching the trailer.

     As for the reported data, I think the average of just over 8 hours per Wii owner perhaps shows this is a shorter Spider-Man game, perhaps like the original Spider-Man: The Movie? I’m not sure if I would put this on my “Wish List” based on the reported average hours and being that I don’t follow the Spider-Man universe a whole lot anymore, but seeing the customer review score average for it would probably make me take a second look at it if I spotted it for around $10 now.

Questions
     Have any of you played Spider-Man: Edge of Time on the Wii, or perhaps another console? If you have played the Wii version, are the motion controls implemented well in the game?
     Being that I haven’t played any of the Spider-Man Wii games, but I do enjoy motion controls, is there one Spider-Man Wii game you would recommend above others if you have played several of the games?

If any of you are interested in Spider-Man: Edge of Time, you can see links to the different console versions below:

Ocarina of Time’s Hours Played, Money Made – Virtual Console Report

Coffee Beans
     The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time is the best Zelda game ever released, at least according to the professionals’ review score average for the game.  It was the first 3D Zelda game(in two ways), and it was the first Zelda game I can remember playing through to completion.  I digress!

     The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time originally released for the Nintendo 64 on November 23, 1998 in North America.  The game was developed at Nintendo’s EAD studio, and published by Nintendo.
     It was re-released on the GameCube, the Wii’s Virtual Console, and the 3DS this past June.
     The Virtual Console release received an “Everyone” rating from the ESRB with “Violence” listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of, and it is available for just 1,000 Wii Points, which is only $10.

     How many Wii owners have reported playing The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the Virtual Console, and how many hours have they spent with the game?  Let’s take a look!

The Brew
     The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time has 240,177 Wii owners that have reported game-play data through the Nintendo Channel in the United States, with 1,722 days possibly reported.  Can you imagine playing Ocarina of Time every single day, 24/7, just for 10 years, well the “Total Hours” reported are equivalent to more than 780 years of game-play!
     The game’s average play-time per day/session reported is 1 Hour 53 Minutes.  This simply means that when Wii owners are sitting down and playing the game, they are playing it for nearly 2 hours before stopping and picking it up again at a later time.
     How much has Nintendo made from the game’s Virtual Console re-release?  Ocarina of Time’s Virtual Console release, just in the United States, has made Nintendo about $2,401,770 based on the number of Wii owners having reported data and the game’s $10 price point.

Caffeinated Thoughts
     I still have The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time in my Nintendo 64 collection, though I have not played it in a very long time.  The video below is the menu video that plays for the game when the N64 is turned on:

     I remember enjoying my time with the game, specifically fishing a lot, but I remember being very disappointed with the ending.  It was a shallow reason that I didn’t like the ending, but at the time I remember being very disappointed with it.
     What was I disappointed with?  For some reason, I thought the ending of Ocarina of Time was very much like the ending from Star Wars: Episode VI – The Return of the Jedi with the dancing Ewoks and celebration; and it just felt like a ripoff from the movie.  Perhaps I should give the game another try now that a decade has passed?

     I think the average hours “Per person” and the game’s $10 price point, probably make this the best Zelda game on the Virtual Console for Wii owners to purchase.  While the game takes more time/dedication to complete, the fact that the game provides so many hours of game-play at such a low price I think is a great value.

Questions
     Have any of you been playing any version of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time lately, in preparation for Skyward Sword’s release today?  If you own the 3DS version and you have completed it, do you know how many hours it took you to finish?

If you are interested in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, and the Zelda universe in general, you may find the items linked below to be of interest:
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=B002UQM0PA 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=B001TOQ8KC 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=B003O6E800

Fight the Flu with Dr. Mario? Dr. Mario Online Rx Hours Report

Coffee Beans
     Did you know it’s flu season?  If you haven’t seen the “Get Your Flu Shots Here!” signs in your area, they will probably be popping up very soon.  Did you know Mario has a history of battling viruses, even the flu virus, with vitamins?

     Dr. Mario Online Rx was released on May 26, 2008 as a WiiWare title on the Nintendo Wii.  The game released at a price point of 1,000 Wii Points, which is $10.  The game was developed by Arika and published by Nintendo, and received and ESRB rating of “Everyone” with no content listed for parents/gamers to be aware of.
     A portion of the description for Dr. Mario Online Rx reads, “The doctor is in!  Mario takes a break from his adventuring ways and once again dons his stethoscope for a new generation of germ-battling mayhem.  In addition to the classic mode of using vitamins to exterminate viruses, you’ll find two battle modes and an online multiplayer mode where you can hone your skills against players from around the world.”

     So with flu season upon us, how many hours Wii owners have spent battling viruses in Dr. Mario Online Rx?  Let’s take a look!

If you want to enter the Ed Hardy Energy Snacks giveaway, you can do so HERE!

The Brew
     Dr. Mario Online Rx has about 102,581 Wii owners that have reported battling viruses through the Wii’s Nintendo Channel, with 1,246 days possibly reported.
     The game’s average play-time per day/session reported is 1 Hour 20 Minutes.
     Dr. Mario Online Rx’s “professional” review score average is 72.95%, based on 19 reviews on GameRankings.com.  While the game was released world-wide through the WiiWare service, just the United States’ release of Dr. Mario Online Rx has made Nintendo about $1,025,810, just based on the number of players that have reported data and the game’s $10 price point.

Caffeinated Thoughts
     If we compare the average play-time per day/session reported for the game, to that of time spent at a real-life doctor’s appointment with the doctor, I believe Dr. Mario Online Rx comes out as the better choice.
     The real-life time spent with a doctor per visit is said to be between 8-20 minutes, depending on a the type of appointment/visit.  Considering my copay is $30 just for a “primary” doctor’s visit, I would probably be better off paying $10 for Dr. Mario Online Rx and using the other $20 to buy some vitamins to help build my immune system and fight off viruses.  Though I rarely get a flu shot, that may change this year with the two little guys in the house.
     I have not played Dr. Mario Online Rx, or any games from the Dr. Mario series.  Mrs. Coffee though has played one of the games from the series, but she doesn’t remember exactly which one.  When I asked her about it she said, “I just remember the vitamin pills being two different colors, and you had to match up the colors.  I also remember it supposedly played like Tetris, even though I had never played Tetris.”

     As for the reported game-play hours, I think the game’s average hours “Per Person” being 26 Hours 3 Minutes is incredible for a game that only costs $10, and I think it clearly shows that Wii owners really enjoy this game.

Questions
     Have any of you played Dr. Mario Online Rx, and if so, is it a game you still play from time-to-time?  Also, is it a WiiWare game you would recommend to new Wii owners looking for a quality title?
     If you have played games from the Tetris series and the Dr. Mario series, do you favor one of the series more than the other?  Or, does each game series offer enough unique game-play elements to keep them different and fresh from the other?

If any of you are interested in Dr. Mario Online Rx, you can actually purchase an “Online Game Code” for it directly from Amazon.com by clicking the image 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=B003XVYBO4

Kirby Turns One, A Sibling Is Born – Unwinding, Before Moving Forward

Coffee Beans
     Kirby’s Epic Yarn was released on October 17, 2010 for the Nintendo Wii, with a MSRP of $49.99.  The game took about 2-weeks for its game-play hours to show up on the Nintendo Channel, and I did its initial data report last November which you can read HERE.
     Kirby’s Epic Yarn was developed by Good-Feel and HAL Laboratory, and published by Nintendo.  The game received an “Everyone” rating from the ESRB with “Mild Cartoon Violence” listed as content for parents/gamers to be aware of.

     Kirby’s Epic Yarn is barely a year old now and this past Monday, October 24, Nintendo released a new 2-D Kirby Wii game, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land.  
     So, before we head into Kirby’s new Dream Land, how many hours Wii owners have spent with Kirby’s Epic Yarn over the last year?  Let’s unwind one more time and take a look!

How many characters from Kirby’s Epic Yarn can you spot in the image above? Also, if you want to enter the Ed Hardy Energy Snacks giveaway, you can do so HERE!

The Brew
     Kirby’s Epic Yarn has about 135,945 Wii owners that have now reported game-play hours through the Nintendo Channel, with 372 days possibly reported.
     The game’s average play-time per day/session reported is 1 Hour 58 Minutes, which means each time Wii owners are sitting down to play Kirby’s Epic Yarn they spend about two hours playing the game.
     Kirby’s Epic Yarn has a “professional” review score average of 88.75%, based on 44 reviews on GameRankings.com.  The game has a 4.5 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com based on 160 customer reviews, which is 89.63% when they are converted to a 100% review scale.

Lots of 5 out of 5 Star customer reviews!

Filtered Thoughts
     Earlier this summer, Mrs. Coffee and I traded/loaned our neighbors Donkey Kong Country Returns for Kirby’s Epic Yarn(and I also got Wii Sports Resort).  Mrs. Coffee and I played through Kirby’s Epic Yarn cooperatively, and we enjoyed playing through the game together.  While we completed the game together and saw the credits roll, we didn’t go back and complete every single level that is unlocked through the campaign, cooperatively.  The game gives players an overall percentage “complete”, and Mrs. Coffee and I finished with more than 50% of the game “complete” when we saw the credits roll.
     We both thought the level designs improved the further we made it in the game, and Mrs. Coffee enjoyed the game so much that she started and completed her own save file in the game.  How much did Mrs. Coffee complete of Kirby’s Epic Yarn on her own save file?  The image below shows all of our percentages, with the top save file my own personal file(FAIL), the middle save file of 58% was our cooperative save file, and the third save file was Mrs. Coffee’s by herself:

     So, as the image above shows, you can probably expect between 7-10 hours of game-play to complete the game’s campaign with around 50% of it finished.  As Mrs. Coffee’s file shows, if you want to complete the game with 100% of the items found, and all of the levels completed, your hours can be a lot higher if you take your time and play through some of the levels multiple times.
     If you missed how Nintendo advertised Kirby’s Epic Yarn when it released last year, below is the television commercial for the game:

     Overall, I would recommend Kirby’s Epic Yarn to families that are looking for a fun 2-player 2-D platforming experience.

Questions
     Have any of you played Kirby’s Epic Yarn?  If so, do you know what percentage of the game you had completed when you saw the credits roll, and did you perhaps go back to try and complete it with 100% as Mrs. Coffee did?

If any of you are interested in Kirby’s Epic Yarn, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com and GameStop.com linked below.  Also, you can see Kirby’s newest Wii adventure below, Kirby’s Return to Dream Land:
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=B003ZCH7DI 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=B0050SVGW8

FPS-ish Friday – The House of the Dead: Overkill Hours Played

Coffee Beans
     Do you like zombies?  Do you like zombie games?  Well, if you answered yes to either of those questions, this report may be for you.

     The House of the Dead: Overkill was released on February 10, 2009 for the Wii in North America, and it had a MSRP of $49.99.  A port of the game was just released this past Tuesday, October 25, for the PlayStation 3 with a MSRP of $39.99, but it is already discounted 25% at one online site, HERE.
     It was developed by Headstrong Games, and published by Sega.  The House of the Dead: Overkill received a “Mature” rating from the ESRB with “Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Strong Language” listed as content for parents/gamers to be aware of.

     How many hours of game-play can PlayStation 3 owners expect, and also Wii owners, from The House of the Dead: Overkill if they are just picking it up?  Let’s take a look!

That zombie could probably use some Ed Hardy Energy Snacks! If you want to enter the Ed Hardy Energy Snacks giveaway, you can do so by clicking HERE.

The Brew
     The House of the Dead: Overkill has about 75,110 Wii owners that have reported game-play hours through the Nintendo Channel; with 986 days possibly reported.
     The game’s average play-time per day/session reported is 1 Hour 35 Minutes, which simply means each time Wii owners have sat down to play the game, they play it for about an hour and a half.
     The House of the Dead: Overkill’s Wii “professional” review score average is 81.09%, based on 55 reviews on GameRankings.com.  The Wii version has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 169 customer reviews; which is 77.51% when the customer reviews are converted to a 100% review scale.

Full customer review scores breakdown.

Caffeinated Thoughts
     I have not played The House of the Dead: Overkill, and I don’t think I will at this point.  I’m not a huge fan of over-the-top language in games, and considering this game won a world record for its use of a certain word, I don’t see it making it on my list to play.
     As for the reported game-play data, I think seeing “9 Hours 25 Minutes” averaged “Per person” reporting data is great for a rail shooter, and knowing that two levels have been added to the PlayStation 3 version I think should let PS3 owners know they can probably expect 10+ hours of game-play from The House of the Dead: Overkill – Extended Cut.
     While I probably will never play The House of the Dead: Overkill on the Wii, or PS3, I believe I have one of the House of the Dead games from the Sega Dreamcast sitting around here somewhere, so I may have to fire that up again and see how it has held up.

Questions
     Are any of you big fans of the House of the Dead series games, and found yourself to have really enjoyed The House of Dead: Overkill for the Wii?  Also, if you have played the Wii and/or PS3 version of the game, do you know if there is a “content filter” of sorts which allows the language to be toned down and/or removed from the game-play altogether?
     Did any of you purchase The House of Dead: Overkill – Extendend Cut this past week for the PlayStation 3?  If so, how do you think the game controls with the Sony Move controller, if you have used it?

If any of you are interested in either the Wii or PlayStation 3 version of The House of the Dead: Overkill, you can see both games 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=B001ET07O0 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=B0053B7ICO

Face Your Phobias – Deadly Creatures Report

Coffee Beans
     Do you like spiders?  Do you like scorpions?  If so, the game this data report is on might be right up your alley.
     Deadly Creatures was released on February 9, 2009 with a MSRP of $49.99.  The game was developed by Rainbow Studios which was closed in August of this year, and published by THQ.
     The game puts players in the role of a tarantula for some levels, and the role of a scorpion in other levels.
     Deadly Creatures received a “Teen” rating from the ESRB, with “Alcohol Reference, Blood, Mild Language, Violence” listed as content for parents/gamers to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners reported facing their arachnophobia in Deadly Creatures? Let’s take a look!

How many hours did it take you to finish?

The Brew
     Deadly Creatures has had about 27,941 Wii owners report game-play data through the Wii’s Nintendo Channel, with 980 days possibly reported.
     The game has an average play-time per day/session reported of 1 Hour 28 Minutes.
     Deadly Creatures has a “professional” review score average of 73.35%, based on 40 reviews on GameRankings.com.  You can see the customer review scores breakdown from Amazon.com in the picture below:

     The game is currently selling for $29.99 on Amazon.com from a third party vendor, and Deadly Creatures is available from GameStop.com for 14.99 used.

Filtered Thoughts
     I remember when Deadly Creatures released, and reading how it was a very unique idea for a game.  As the reviews show, it seems to be a pretty decent game, though the reported average hours “Per person” being less than 6 Hours is interesting.
     Deadly Creatures is a Wii game I hope to play one day, as the atmosphere/setting seems very interesting to me, but knowing that the reported hours “Per person” are less than 6 hours I would probably look to rent it, or even look for it at a “bargain bin” price of $10 or less.
     If you have arachnophobia, “the fear of spiders and arachnids like scorpions“, you may want to skip the video below; but if you want to see what I think is a very unique game idea, watch the video below which shows off two trailers that were made for Deadly Creatures:

Questions
     Have any of you played Deadly Creatures, and if so, would you recommend it to other Wii owners?  If you beat the game, do you recall how many hours it took you to complete it?
     If you have arachnophobia, did you play Deadly Creatures, or attempt to play it?

If any of you are interested in Deadly Creatures, you can click the two images below to see the game on Amazon.com(left) and GameStop.com(right).
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=B00163ROMC

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

Have You Partied? Wii Party Turns One

Coffee Beans
     Wii Party was released on October 3, 2010 with a MSRP of $49.99.  On April 25th this year, the game saw an “official” price drop from the MSRP of $49.99, down to a MSRP of $39.99.
     The game was developed Nd Cube and Nintendo EAD, and published by Nintendo.  Wii Party received an “Everyone” rating from the ESRB with “Mild Cartoon Violence” listed as content for parents/gamers to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners reported partying with Wii Party during its first year?  Let’s take a look!

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data
     Wii Party now has 87,073 Wii owners reporting game-play hours through the Wii’s Nintendo Channel.

Reported Player Increase Since December 2010
     Wii Party has seen an increase of about more 69,411 more Wii owners reporting data since the last report based on data recorded from December 27, 2010.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported
     Wii Party now has 1,796,911 Total Hours of game-play reported, which is an increase of 1,553,120 Total Hours since the last report.
     The average play-time is now 20 Hours 39 Minutes “Per person”(or console) reporting data, an increase of 6 Hours 51 Minutes.
     The game’s average play-time per day/session reported is 1 Hours 53 Minutes.

Sale Rank
     Wii Party’s Amazon.com sale rank is currently #323, and is selling for $33.49 fulfilled by Amazon.
     On December 30, 2010, it was ranked #74 and selling for $44.99.
     (Current sale rank and price recorded around 1:30PM on October 9, 2011.)

Review Score Averages
     Wii Party’s “professional” review score average is 70.44%, based on 25 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     The game has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 191 customer reviews.
     Wii Party’s customer review score average is 83.35%, when the reviews are converted to a 100% review scale.
     (Review score averages recorded around 1:30PM on October 9, 2011.)

Filtered Thoughts
     If you have not seen anything on Wii Party, below is a video compilation of the television commercial Nintendo released for the game, and an online promotional Nintendo released for the game as well:

     Have I partied with Wii Party?  No, I have not.
     I honestly felt that Wii Party was a holiday cash-in attempt by Nintendo last year, instead of them delivering a game that used the Wii and its peripherals in interesting ways.  The reason I thought it was a cash-in, is because the game does not use the Wii MotionPlus attachment in any way, it does not use the Wii Balance Board in anyway, and of course, no online anything.
     When some third party developers were able to implement Wii MotionPlus and Wii Balance Board controls in some of their games very quickly, but make them only optional, it just made me think that Nintendo had Wii Party’s mini-games sitting around for a few years and threw them together as a holiday release.
   
     What about the reported game-play data?  I think it shows that Wii owners that have purchased Wii Party are really enjoying the game, and the average hours reported “Per person” are more than I was expecting the game would be at this point, as I thought it would hover around the low to mid teens.
     Will I ever play Wii Party?  Well, I don’t plan on purchasing it, so unless I end up at somebody’s house that owns it, and we have a Wii Party party, I don’t think I will ever play the game.

Questions
     Have any of you played Wii Party, and if you purchased it many months ago is it a game you play by yourself?  Or, is it only one of those games that you break out when family and friends are over?
     Also, if you have played any of the Rayman Raving Rabbids Wii games and Wii Party, are they along the same type of “party” games, or aimed at different audiences?

If any of you are interested in Wii Party, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com 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=B003O6DZSQ

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

FPS Friday! GoldenEye 007 and Conduit 2 Hours Report

Coffee Beans
Do you know that FPS games are horrible on the Wii?  Do you know that the Wii is for kids, and Nintendo fanboys stuck in the 80s and 90s?  Do you know that when it comes to FPS games on home consoles, graphics matter more than actual game-play?
Well, if you do not know these things, you should go read more sites like IGN, Destructoid, Joystiq, and basically every “modern” game site that exists that doesn’t contain the word “Nintendo” in its title, and you will become well versed in “modern game language” and the understanding that graphics trump game-play, AND that Nintendo is for the kids!

While there are many video game “journalists” that seem to think the words “Wii FPS” do not belong together(and to some those words might not even exist), as evidenced by their written opinions in reviews and articles, I think they are 100% wrong.
I digress!
GoldenEye 007 was released on November 2, 2010 and Conduit 2 was released on April 19, 2011.  Conduit 2 received an overall lower “professional” review score average, so does it appear from reported game-play data that Conduit 2 is not as enjoyable as GoldenEye 007, proving that the “professionals'” opinions were right?  Let’s take a look!

Approx. Number of Players Having Reported Data
GoldenEye 007 now has 80,201 Wii owners that have reported game-play hours through the Nintendo Channel.
Conduit 2 now has 6,003 Wii owners that have reported game-play hours.

Number of Players Reporting Data Increased Since Last Reports
GoldenEye 007 has seen an increase of about 31,084 more Wii owners reporting data, than it had on March 21, 2011.
Conduit 2 has seen an increase of about 3,650 more Wii owners reporting data, since its data debut on May 30, 2011.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours
GoldenEye 007 now has 2,163,420 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 1,107,206 Total Hours since March.
The games’s average play-time is now 26 Hours 59 Minutes “Per person” reporting data, which is 5 Hours 28 Minutes more than the average that was reported from March 12, 2011.
GoldenEye 007’s average play-time per day/session reported is now 2 Hours 3 Minutes.

Conduit 2 now has 178,670 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 128,444 Total Hours since May of this year.
The game’s average play-time is now 29 Hours 46 Minutes “Per person” reporting data, which is 8 Hours 25 Minutes more than the average that was reported on May 30, 2011.
Conduit 2’s average play-time per day/session reported is now 2 Hours 18 Minutes.

Sales Information
GoldenEye 007’s Amazon.com sale rank is #422, and it is currently selling for $23.65 fulfilled by Amazon.
GoldenEye 007’s Classic Controller Pro bundle’s sale rank is #2,387, and it is currently selling for $52.00 from a third party vendor.

Conduit 2’s Amazon.com sale rank is #9,109, and it is currently selling for $43.70.
(Sales ranks and prices recorded around 10:45PM on September 30, 2011.)

Review Score Averages
GoldenEye 007’s “professional” review score average is 83.77%, based on 62 reviews on GameRankings.com.
The game has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com between both versions, based on 174 customer reviews.
The game’s customer review score average is 78.39% when the reviews are converted to a 100% review scale.

Conduit 2’s “professional” review score average is 66.32%, based on 38 reviews on GameRankings.com.
It has a 3 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 38 customer reviews.
The game has a customer review score average of 57.36%, when all the reviews are converted to a 100% review scale.
     The game’s customer review score average increases to 79.16%, when removing all but one of the 1 star reviews, based on the fact most of the 1 star reviews only appeared after the Conduit 2 review fiasco and provided little or no details on the game.
(Review score averages recorded around 10:45PM on September 30, 2011.)


Filtered Thoughts
Just from looking at Conduit 2’s Amazon.com sales rank, it would appear that the game is not selling very well; but does that prove the “professional” reviews were correct overall about which game is better?
While Conduit 2 will probably never catch GoldenEye 007 in overall sales or in “Total Hours” reported, the one area that I think shows Conduit 2 owners are really enjoying the game is the hours reported “Per person” category.
If Conduit 2 was such a mess of a game, wouldn’t it be reasonable to expect the average hours reported “Per person” to be lower than those of GoldenEye 007?  I think this is even more true when Conduit 2’s single-player campaign is reported to be a lot shorter than GoldenEye 007’s single-player campaign; but Conduit 2 has a higher average “Per person” than GoldenEye 007 does.
So, how/why do I think Conduit 2 has a higher average “Per person” than GoldenEye 007?  Well, I think it is simply because Conduit 2 owners are playing the online multi-player a lot, which I think shows Wii FPS fans buy FPS games to play online multi-player, like the majority of FPS fans.

If you have not seen any footage of Conduit 2 or GoldenEye 007, below are videos for both games:

I have only played GoldenEye 007, so I can’t comment on both, but I think the one area GoldenEye 007 could be improved upon is its online leveling up system.  I think it takes way too much time to level in the game, and that players may eventually grow tired of trying/hoping to reach the next level.
I know Conduit 2 does have a patch system in place, and I would only guess from the average hours “Per person” reported for the game that the online multi-player is running smoothly.

Questions
Have any of you played both GoldenEye 007 and Conduit 2, and if so, which one do you think has the better online multi-player?
     If you have played GoldenEye 007’s online multi-player, do you agree with me that the online leveling up system takes too much time?

If any of you are interested in Conduit 2 or GoldenEye 007, you can see prices for both 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=B003GB4UXI 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=B003O6H7X0