Call of Duty: Black Ops - Hours Played Debut

Coffee Beans:
     Call of Duty: Black Ops(Black Ops) was released on November 9, 2010, in North America; with a MSRP of $49.99, for the Wii version.  Call of Duty: Black Ops was developed by Treyarch, and published by Activision.

     It took 21 days for Call of Duty: Black Ops' game-play data to appear on the Nintendo Channel, as shown below.
     How many hours have Wii owners reportedly been involved in "black ops" over the last 21 days, while I'm sure claiming they were just answering their call of duty?  Let's take a look!

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

Appoximate Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Call of Duty: Black Ops has 6,181 Wii owners reporting their play-time data, on its debut through the Nintendo Channel; 21 days after its release.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Black Ops has 120,608 Total Hours of game-play reported for its debut, with an average of 19 Hours 31 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     The debut average play-time per "Black Ops" session, for Call of Duty: Black Ops, is just over 3 Hours 17 Minutes.
     Over the 21 days reported, Wii owners have averaged about 5,743 game-play hours each day playing Black Ops.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Call of Duty: Black Ops' Amazon.com sale rank is #78, and is currently selling for $49.99. (recorded around 11:15PM on 11-29-10)

Review Score Averages:
     Call of Duty: Black Ops' review score average is 84.22%, based on 9 "professional" reviews on GameRankings.com.  (recorded around 11:15PM on 11-29-10)

     Amazon.com shows Call of Duty: Black Ops on the Wii with a 4 out of 5 Star rating, basically an 80% average; based on 24 customer reviews.
     You can see the Amazon.com customer review score average for the Wii version of Black Ops pictured below:

Thoughts:
     Call of Duty: Black Ops is off to a tremendous start with its reported game-play data.  I don't own Black Ops on the Wii, but purchased it on my PS3 instead....and I really do miss the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controls offered in Wii FPS games.
     Treyarch has established themselves as being an extremely capable developer of FPS games for the Wii.  Every Call of Duty game released on the Wii so far: Call of Duty 3, Call of Duty: World at War, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex, and Call of Duty: Black Ops; has been developed/ported by Treyarch, and published by Activision.
     Call of Duty: World at War was the first game of the series on the Wii, to implement online multi-player.
     Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex was a port of the original Xbox 360 and PS3 game developed by Infinity Ward, and it was the first game of the series to implement more fully customizable Wii Remote and Nunchuk controls.
     Call of Duty: Black Ops is the first game of the series on the Wii, to implement voice-chat with a headset, as well as including the online co-op Zombie Mode.

     If you're wondering, "Is Black Ops really doing that well compared to other games' debuts?" Well, here is what Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex's debut game-play data looked like when it debuted, just 21 days after it released:

The old way I did data stories!

     If you're interested, you can see the Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex data debut post HERE.  Call of Duty: Black Ops has almost double the amount of "Total Hours" reported, compared to what Call of Duty: Modern Warfare Reflex did.
     I think with the addition of Zombie mode this year, Call of Duty: Black Ops could be a serious contender for becoming the "Most Played Wii Game" in the "Per person" category.

Questions:
     If you purchased Call of Duty: Black Ops for the Wii, what do you think of it?  If you played the other Call of Duty Wii games, do you think Black Ops is a step forward for the series, or is it more like moving sideways, just maintaining the status quo?


     If anybody is interested in Call of Duty: Black Ops, you can see prices for the console versions on Amazon.com linked below:
  

Nicodemus_at_Nite and Coffee by Mail, Again!

Coffee Beans:
     It all started back in June, when my first package of coffee arrived.  One of the regular readers here at CoffeewithGames, Nicodemus_at_Nite, had mailed me a container of Trader Joe's Organic French Roast Dark Roast coffee.
     The first coffee package was followed by another Trader Joe's coffee container, that he mailed me in August.  The second coffee container was Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade Five Country Espresso blend.
     Well, just this month on November 15, when I checked our mail there was a package that contained....

     Trader Joe's Organic Fair Trade Cafe Pajaro!  I have been enjoying the blend very much, and like the other Trader Joe's coffees that Nicodemus_at_Nite mailed me, Cafe Pajaro's is also a whole bean coffee:

Shiny coffee beans!

     A portion of the Cafe Pajaro description says, "The beans used for our Cafe Pajaro have been roasted in small batches to bring out the natural aromatic oils.  This ultra dark roast coffee has a full silky body that is complimented by a medium acidity and dark chocolaty sweet overtones."
     I would say the description "ultra dark roast" applies well to this blend, and I find this coffee blend to be a great balance overall.
     Nicodemus_at_Nite is still writing on his blog, NicodemusatNite.Blogspot.com.   From talking with him last night through GMail, he is currently having a lot of fun playing through Donkey Kong Country Returns.
     A big thanks, AGAIN, to Nicodemus_at_Nite for sending me the Trader Joe's Cafe Pajaro coffee blend. It wasn't expected, but it is being enjoyed as the others were!

Greg Hastings' Paintball 2 - Local Multi-Player Footage & Thoughts

Coffee Beans:
     Back in October, my wife and I tried the local multi-player in Greg Hastings' Paintball 2.  She doesn't really play FPS games, so she used the Classic Controller control options, because I thought the controls would be easier for her to learn.  We played a few rounds so she could get acquainted with the controls; and after playing a few rounds by ourselves, we then played a few with bots on each of our teams.

     Before we get to the video of the local multi-player in Greg Hastings Paintball 2, let's take a look at some features for the game's local multi-player.
     Greg Hastings Paintball 2 offers the same nine match types in its local multi-player, that are found in the game's "Single Player Exhibition" mode:

• Elimination
• Two Flag CTF
• Single CTF
• Point Capture
• Assault
• Recon
• Sniper
• X-Ball
• RaceTo

     As for the options available to adjust in Greg Hastings' Paintball 2 local multi-player, here's a brief breakdown:

• Gear Bag - Where you choose which paintball gun, barrel, mask, loader, etc., you will use in the matches
• Options - General options tab, allowing you to choose match types, location & field, number of rounds, time limit, and team size
• Bots - Select which difficulty you want the bots to be; five skill levels available to choose from
• Equipment - Allows you to toggle pistols and grenades on/off; also allows you to choose between five different paint supply options for the matches: Standard, Blackjack, Single hopper/clip, Single Pod, Infinite
• Rules - This section allows you to toggle options like Friendly Fire and Cheating on/off.  You can also select the weather & wind options here as well
• Start - Starts the match!

     Below is the video of me versus Mrs. CoffeewithGames.  When you watch the video, I was the top screen - Player 1; she was the bottom screen - Player 2.  The location we were playing in the video was D-Day Adventure Park, in Wyandotte, Oklahoma.



Video & Paintball Field Info:
     The match was a "Two Flag CTF", which is when both teams have a flag on opposite sides of the field; with the objective being to "capture the flag" of the opposing team, and return it to your base.
     While the location we were playing at was D-Day Adventure Park, the field/map we were on was Normandy.  D-Day Adventure Park has five fields/maps in the splitscreen multi-player, in Greg Hastings Paintball 2:

• Airfield
• Sainte-Mere-Eglise
• Pegasus Bridge
• Omaha Beach
• Normandy

     If you're wondering what some fields at D-Day Adventure Park actually look like in real life, and if the game portrays them accurately, here are two quick images from their site, DDayAdventurePark.com.

Used with permission.  Click to enlarge.

     You can find many more pictures directly at their site, and if you didn't know, D-Day Adventure Park has the tagline and is known as being, "Home of the World's Largest Paintball Event!"  If you are new to the world of paintball, you may be interested in participating at D-Day Adventure Park's 2011 event from June 6 through June 12, 2011.  You can find more information at DDayAdventurePark.com, or HERE.

Thoughts:

     The local multi-player in Greg Hastings Paintball 2, on the Wii, has a crazy number of locations and maps you can play in.  There are twelve different locations, each having between 3-6 fields/maps.  You read that right, the game has more than 36 fields/maps for the local multi-player option.  While some maps are the same fields just expanded/roped off, or speedball courses with re-arranged bunkers, each field can be played with different strategies depending on the match type, objectives, and whether or not bots are being used.

     While the local multi-player is limited to two players, I think the ability to include bots was a great choice by the development team.  The bots really do add a challenge to the game, and can help even out the matches for inexperienced FPS gamers.  Going into the matches against Mrs. CwG, I thought I would easily win.  When we added bots to the matches, not all worked out as I thought; as the video shows.
     Depending on the experience of the player, you can select between five different experience settings for the bots.

     One issue we did notice was hit detection.  We experimented with shooting each other at close range, and it was interesting because when we were at point-blank range, the paintballs wouldn't hit us; it was like they were going directly around/through us.
     Now, it may have been a development choice to not register point-blank shots, because usually when participating in paintball events, a general rule is to try not to shoot an opponent at point-blank range.

     If anybody has any specific questions about Greg Hastings Paintball 2 on the Wii, please let me know.  I am still working my way through the game's single-player campaign, and once I finish it, I should have a more detailed video preview up for the game.

Questions:

     Have any of you been to D-Day Adventure Park?  If so, what were you experiences there?  If you own Greg Hastings Paintball 2 on the Wii, what do you think of the local multi-player experience the game offers?

     If you are interested in Greg Hastings Paintball 2, the game is currently available on the Wii and Xbox 360, shown below.  The PS3 version will be releasing on the PSN in the near future.
  













My copy of Greg Hastings Paintball 2 was provided by Majesco.

Thanksgiving & 2010's Video Game Turkey Award

Coffee Beans:
     Well, another year has passed, and today(technically yesterday) was Thanksgiving.  I hope that you all had a good Thanksgiving, and perhaps an excellent Thanksgiving meal at some point today.
     I started a pot of coffee when we woke up this morning, then fixed another one early in the evening; and I was even able to play some Call of Duty: Black Ops multi-player for a little while today.
     Mrs. CoffeewithGames and I spent the day relaxing at the house with our son, and Mrs. CwG prepared us some excellent food:  turkey, green bean casserole, baked macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, rolls, cherry pie, and of course canned cranberry sauce!

     If you weren't following my blog last November, you may have missed my, "2009's Gaming Turkey Award" post.
     The "Gaming Turkey Award", now the "Video Game Turkey Award", goes to either a video game company, or a person, within the video game industry; that through their actions or words, repeatedly caused uproars in the video game community; and in return, the company/person was roasted/baked/fried(like a good turkey is!) with comments from video game community.

The 2010 Video Game Turkey Award goes to...

...Michael Pachter!
     Why does Michael Pachter get the 2010 Video Game Turkey Award?
     Well, here's a partial list of things that Michael Pachter said/did in 2010, that caused uproars in video game communities:
     January 2010 - Pachter started off 2010 with a prediction, continued from 2009, that Nintendo would introduce the Wii HD.
     May 2010 - Michael Pachter spoiled David Jaffe's new Twisted Metal game appearance before E3, even causing David Jaffe to "lie" about the issue.
     July 2010 - Pachter said Activision should charge for Call of Duty's online multi-player.
     November 2010 - Mr. Pachter had another comment in an interview, that set message boards and comment sections on fire on certain sites; he said, "I use the press to promote myself..."(this was a three page article/interview, and that one line is what everybody focused on)

     Those are just four quick examples of where Michael Pachter said something in 2010, and the results of what he said caused him to get baked/fried/roasted in the comments sections on video game websites.
     I even take issue with things Michael Pachter says, and wrote a post about it titled, "Analyzing the Analyst: Michael Pachter is Wrong", earlier this year.

Questions:
     First, did any of you play some games on Thanksgiving this year?  Second, do you agree with my 2010 Video Game Turkey Award?  If so, what things did Mr. Pachter say that caused you to bake/fry/roast him with a comment somewhere?  If you don't agree, who would you give the 2010 Video Game Turkey Award to?

Gamers Like to Dance? Just Dance 2's Game-Play Hours Debut

Coffee Beans
Just Dance 2 was released on October 12, 2010, in North America; with a MSRP of $39.99. It was developed by Ubisoft Paris, the same team behind Rayman Raving Rabbids 2 and Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, as well the original Just Dance.

It took 42 days for Just Dance 2's play-time data to appear on the Nintendo Channel, as shown below.

Does the reported game-play data for Just Dance 2, so far, show Wii owners perhaps can go "Dancing with the Stars", or do they need more practice with their dance moves?  Let's take a look!

Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I - Game-Play Data Debut

Coffee Beans:
     Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I was released through the Nintendo Wii's WiiWare service on October 11, 2010.  The game has a price point of 1,500 Wii Points, which is the equivalent of $15.  Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I was co-developed by Dimps and Sonic Team.

     The debut game-play hours below are for the United States of America Wii owners, not world-wide.  So, from October 11 through November 22, how many hours have Wii owners spent in Sonic's new 2.5D universe?  Let's take a look!

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I has 7,983 Wii owners reporting their play-time data, on its debut on the Nintendo Channel 43 days after its release.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I has 52,305 Total Hours of game-play reported on its debut, with an average play-time of 6 Hours 33 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.

     The debut average play-time, per session, for Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I is just over 1 Hour 11 Minutes.


Sales Info:
     Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I is currently in the #2 spot, out of 20; in the WiiWare's "Popular Titles" section.
     Based on the approximate number of gamers reporting data, and the $15 price of the game, Sega has made around $119,745 off the WiiWare version of Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I.
     This reported total Sega has made from the WiiWare version is only from Wii owners that report their game-play data through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Review Score Average:
     Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I's review score average is 75.62%, based on 13 reviews on GameRankings.com.

Thoughts:
     If the average play-time "Per person", 6 Hours 33 Minutes, is how long it takes to complete the game on a single play-through, I think the price tag of $15 is fair.
     I haven't purchased/played Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, so I don't know how long the game takes to complete the first time.
     I think it's interesting to note, Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I took 43 days for game-play data to appear, while another popular 2D franchise game earlier this year, Mega Man 10, took 50 days for game-play data to appear.
     If you're a Sonic fan, and haven't seen any game-play footage from Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, here is a brief game-play trailer:


Questions:
     If you purchased Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, which version did you purchase, and what do you think of the game?  Is Sonic the Hedgehog 4 a Sonic game you would recommend to fans of past 2D Sonic games?


If you are interested in downloading Sonic the Hedgehog 4 Episode I, you can use a credit/debit card directly on the Wii Shop Channel, or you can purchase a Wii Points card as shown below for the WiiWare version:
  

James Bond Debut - GoldenEye 007 Game-Play Hours

Coffee Beans:
     GoldenEye 007 was released on November 2, 2010, in North America; with a software MSRP of $49.99, and a Golden Classic Controller Pro bundle MSRP of $69.99.  GoldenEye 007 for the Wii was developed by Eurocom, and published by Activision.

     The debut game-play hours below are for the United States of America Wii owners, not world-wide.  From November 2 through November 22, how many hours of espionage have Wii owners participated in James Bond's GoldenEye 007?  Let's take a look!

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     GoldenEye 007 has 6,579 Wii owners reporting their play-time data, for its debut on the Nintendo Channel 21 days after its release.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     GoldenEye 007 has 74,446 Total Hours of game-play reported for its debut, with an average of 11 Hours 19 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.

     The debut average play-time, per session, for GoldenEye 007 is just over 2 Hours 32 Minutes.


Sale Ranks & Advertised Prices:
     GoldenEye 007's, software only, Amazon.com sale rank is #90, and is selling for $47.45.
     GoldenEye 007's Golden Classic Controller Pro bundle Amazon.com sale rank is #250, and is selling for $67.99.
(Sale ranks and prices were captured November 22, 2010 around 4:35PM.)

Review Score Averages:
     GoldenEye 007's review score average is 83.58%, based on 40 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     Amazon.com shows two sets of customer review scores for GoldenEye 007.
     The first set is based on just the game only, the second set of customer reviews is for the GoldenEye 007 bundle with the Golden Classic Controller Pro.  Here are the Amazon.com customer review score averages for GoldenEye 007 so far:

Click to enlarge

(Review score averages were captured November 22, 2010 around 4:35PM.)

Randomness:
     I'm not sure if it was Nintendo or Activision, but somebody took longer than usual getting GoldenEye 007 listed on the Nintendo Channel.  I had been checking for the last few weeks, and the game wasn't even listed, until last night.  Though the game appeared last night, it didn't have any play-time data showing, until it was updated today.
     Also, now that GoldenEye 007 is listed on the Nintendo Channel, the "copyright" text below it is incorrect.  Again, that could be Nintendo putting up the wrong information, or Activision just sending the wrong information over.  Here's the "copyright" text that is showing beneath GoldenEye 007 right now:

     Apparently, Activision(or Nintendo) wants GoldenEye 007 to be associated with Cabela, and the Cabela hunting games?

Thoughts:
     GoldenEye 007 is off to a good start with the game-play data shown, and I think the game will continue to see steady increases each week throughout the Christmas/holiday season.
    I have been playing GoldenEye 007 on a regular basis since I purchased it.  I completed the single-player campaign back on Friday, November 5(early Saturday technically).  I plan on going back and completing the single-player campaign on all the difficulty settings, but I am enjoying the online multi-player in the meantime.
     If you haven't seen any footage from GoldenEye 007's online multi-player, here is a video of a Team Conflict match, played on the Facility level:


     If anybody has any questions about GoldenEye 007, feel free to ask in the comments, and I'll do my best to answer it.  If you own GoldenEye 007 and are playing it online, my friend code is 2043-7355-3797, and my in-game name is Coffee.


Questions:
     If you own GoldenEye 007 for the Wii, what are your thoughts on it?  What do you enjoy about it, and is there anything you don't enjoy about it?


If anybody is interested in either GoldenEye 007 sku, you can see prices for both on Amazon.com linked below:
 

Monster Hunter Tri - Hours Erupting Like Volcanic Ash!

Coffee Beans:
     We last looked at Monster Hunter Tri's(MHT) game-play data on October 12, and it was still the Wii's most played game "per person".  I went monster hunting a few times since the last report, and included with this week's data is a video of the first part of a Uragaan monster hunt.

     Since Monster Hunter Tri was released in April, the reported game-play hours have steadily increased, burning up averages and passing games that had been released years before it.
     So, are Wii owners still playing Monster Hunter Tri on a consistent basis, or do the reported game-play hours show the game-play is slowing down?  Let's take a look!

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Monster Hunter Tri has 47,806 Wii owners reporting their game-play data now, that's an increase of 4,515 more players reporting play-time data through the Wii's Nintendo Channel, than 5 weeks ago.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Monster Hunter 3 now has 4,085,117 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 558,705 game-play hours in 5 weeks.
     Monster Hunter Tri's average play-time "Per person" is now 85 Hours 27 Minutes, an increase of 3 Hours 58 Minutes since the last report.
     Monster Hunter Tri's average play session is now lasting just over 3 Hours 34 Minutes.

Sale Ranks & Advertised Prices:
     Monster Hunter Tri's, the software only, Amazon.com sale rank is #1,166, and the current selling price is $38.99.
     Monster Hunter Tri - Classic Controller Pro Bundle's Amazon.com sale rank is #911, and it's currently advertised for $48.99.
(Sales ranks and prices recorded around 1:15PM EST, on November 20, 2010)

Review Score Average:
     Monster Hunter Tri's review score average is still at 85.00%, based on 46 reviews on GameRankings.com.

Thoughts:
     I think it's great seeing Monster Hunter Tri continuing to have strong game-play hours reported.  The average hours "Per person" continue to increase, apparently even as new players are reporting their game-play data.  The increase in the average "Per person" shows Wii owners are still going out on monster hunts, on a consistent basis.
     I'm still slowly but surely enjoying Monster Hunter Tri.  I have said before, that I think the level designs in MHT are extremely well done, and the varied environments help draw you into the game more.  I think a well designed environment/level is the one in the video below.
     A group of us were hunting a Uragaan, and you can tell I was looking around at the level several times, watching what was happening in the environment.  Yes, the level is an exploding volcano!


     A big thanks to Maxi and NinSage from NinTemple.com, and also Butcher from WhoBurnedMyToast.Blogspot.com, for going on the monster hunts with me.
     *A quick note:  I didn't clearly specify it, but Monster Hunter Tri is still the Wii's most played game, "Per person".

Question:
     If you own Monster Hunter Tri, when was the last time you went on a monster hunt?


     I think my last monster hunt was in October, and it was the Uragaan.  Perhaps I'll get some more monster hunting done next week, during my break from school.

If anybody is interested in joining the monster hunts, you can see prices for Monster Hunter Tri on Amazon.com linked below:
  

Call of Duty: Black Ops - Headshots Don't Matter?

Coffee Beans:
     Call of Duty: Black Ops arrived at my house last Tuesday, and since then I have been able to play some online multi-player matches and Zombie mode.
     This past Sunday night, I was playing online with some friends, and we were talking about the different issues popping up in Black Ops' multi-player and the different glitches being reported online.  I was talking about the bullet lag issue with one friend, and in talking about the issue, we somehow decided to see how many shots it takes to kill an opponent in online multi-player.
     We tried out different weapons on each other, and we would be basically standing point-blank when firing at each other.

     The video below is a brief example that point-blank headshots in Call of Duty: Black Ops may not have the results you would expect(certainly not the results we expected):


Quick Thoughts:
     I would think from the examples shown in the video above, my player should have been dead.  I can understand perhaps surviving a single gunshot to the head, but considering how close I was being shot, I don't think there is really an excuse.
     If headshots work well on zombies, I think they should work the same in multi-player.  Perhaps Treyarch could add a perk such as, "Hammer Head", that would be like wearing a helmet to actually give reasons for surviving headshots(maybe this perk exists, but I haven't seen it)?

Questions:
     Do you think Treyarch should work on fixing the hit detection in Black Ops, so the closer you are to a person, the more damage you will do if you shoot them?  
     Also, do you think headshots should be instant death in multi-player, no matter what weapon you are using?


If anybody is interested in Call of Duty: Black Ops, you can see prices listed on Amazon.com below:
   

New Super Mario Bros. Wii - First Year's Game-Play Data

Coffee Beans:

     New Super Mario Bros. Wii(NSMBW) was released on November 15, 2009.  It was the first 2D console Mario game to feature simultaneous 4-player action on the screen.

     The game-play data shown below for NSMBW was reported from November 15, 2009, through November 15, 2010.
     In the first year since New Super Mario Bros. Wii released, how many hours have Wii owners spent in the 2D Mushroom Kingdom?  Let's take a look...

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:

     New Super Mario Bros. Wii has 821,134 Wii owners reporting their play-time, through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:

     New Super Mario Bros. Wii has 30,885,215 Total Hours of game-play reported, with an average play-time of 37 Hours 37 Minutes per console/person reporting data.

     The average play-time per session for New Super Mario Bros. Wii is just over 1 Hour 54 Minutes.

Review Score Average:

     New Super Mario Bros. Wii's review score average is 88.12%, based on 56 reviews on GameRankings.com.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:

     New Super Mario Bros. Wii's Amazon.com sale rank is #17, and its selling for $44.32. (recorded November 19, 2010 around 1:50AM)


Thoughts:

     I think the game-play data for New Super Mario Bros. Wii's first year is incredible.  The average hours reported "Per person" for NSMBW, are higher than Super Mario Galaxy's and Super Mario Galaxy 2's average hours per person.

     I think the average hours reported "Per person" show that Wii owners are playing the game through more than once, and the local multi-player is probably a big reason for that.

     NSMBW is still selling incredibly well, and I think it will do extremely well again this holiday season.  

     When Nintendo announced New Super Mario Bros. Wii at E3 2009, I was interested in the game, but was disappointed when I learned that it wouldn't have online multi-player.  I know there were others that wished like myself, that the game had online multi-player; and I remember reading some gamers saying how NSMBW was more a rental, than a purchase, due to the game's short length.
     Before NSMBW released, I didn't plan on purchasing it.  Then, I found myself being a hypocrite one day in December 2009, as I was driving from store to store, looking for a copy of the game.  I went by a Best Buy, two Wal-Marts, and 2-3 Game Stops looking for a copy of the game, all with the same results of it not being in-stock.  I even wrote an article back in January about it, titled "A Serious Nintendo Wii Problem".
     While I never did purchase New Super Mario Bros. Wii, I was able to play it, and wrote about the experience Mrs. CoffeewithGames and I had playing it.

Questions:
     If you have played New Super Mario Bros. Wii, did you play the game by yourself, or with friends/family; and how many hours do you think you have played?
     If you haven't played NSMBW yet, do you plan on purchasing/renting it, to give the game a spin?

     I was able to complete the game, with Mrs. CoffeewithGames, and we even found all the Star coins together.  I checked our reported hours on the game, and the total was just over 67 hours.  We still don't "own" NSMBW, but it is in our gaming collection right now, on loan/exchange from a friend.

If anybody is interested in purchasing New Super Mario Bros. Wii, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com listed below:

How Many Hours Have Wii Owners Exercised Using the EA Sports Active Games?

Coffee Beans:
     EA Sports Active was released on May 19, 2009; and an expansion of sorts, EA Sports Active: More Workouts, was released on November 17, 2009.  Just yesterday, November 16, 2010, Electronic Arts released a full sequel to the original, EA Sports Active 2.

     EA Sports Active has had 546 days of game-play data reported, while EA Sports Active: More Workouts has had 364 days of game-play data reported, through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.
     How many hours have American Wii owners exercised using the EA Sporst Active games?  Let's take a look...

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     EA Sports Active has 114,450 players reporting their game-play hours, through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.
     EA Sports Active: More Workouts has 9,971 Wii owners reporting their game-play data.

Average Hours & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     EA Sports Active has 979,179 Total Hours of game-play reported, and the average play session for EA Sports Active is just over 55 Minutes.
     EA Sports Active: More Workouts has 117,864 Total Hours of game-play reported, and the average play session for EA Sports Active: More Workouts is just over 53 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     EA Sports Active's Amazon.com sale rank is #614, and it's currently selling for $44.99.
     EA Sports Active: More Workouts' Amazon.com sale rank is #584, and it's currently selling for $19.96.

     For comparision, EA Sports Active 2's Amazon.com sale rank is #149, and is selling for $99.95.

Review Score Averages:
     EA Sports Active's GameRankings.com review score average is 81.85%, based on 20 reviews.
     EA Sports Active: More Workouts' GameRankings.com review score average is 81.07%, based on 15 reviews.

Thoughts:
     The EA Sports Active games were Electronic Arts' effort to tap into the gold rush of fitness games, created by Nintendo's Wii Fit.
     EA's effort worked extremely well, as the original EA Sports Active has sold more than three million copies since it released, and the expansion More Workouts saw sales success as well.
     The total game-play hours for both games are 1,097,043 hours, that is a little more than 125 years of active game-play!
     I have not played any of the EA Sports Active games, but I think it will be interesting to see EA can get a significant portion of the original EA Sports Active owners, to purchase EA Sports Active 2.  As I stated in the "Coffee Beans" section, EA Sports Active 2 was just released, but its MSRP is significantly higher than the original's was when it released.  EA Sports Active 2 has a MSRP of $99.99, and while it does come with more features and technology, like a heart rate monitor, I wonder if the the price point will be more than what people are willing to spend?

Questions:
     Did you play EA Sports Active, or the expansion More Workouts?  If so, did the games help you become more active overall, and perhaps lose weight if that was your goal?
     If you didn't purchase the original EA Sporst Active, are you interested in EA Sports Active 2?

     While I do need to get on a regular exercise routine, I don't think I would purchase another video game to attempt to fulfill that need.

If anybody is interested in any of the EA Sports Active games, you can see them priced on Amazon.com linked below:
  

GoldenEye 007 Wii Multiplayer Freezing Issues

Coffee Beans:
     *Update: From the comments on the story, and my experience, it seems to be that Wii owners using LAN adapters to play GoldenEye 007 online are the ones that have experienced this issue.  The video that I included below was the only night that I have had this happen, and I have played the online multi-player more than 15 hours now.
     I purchased GoldenEye 007 last Tuesday when it was released.  I started playing online multiplayer matches last Friday night, after completing the single-player campaign first.
     I was playing GoldenEye 007 online last night again, and was recording footage for future YouTube videos.  Last night was the first night I had experienced the game freezing up in the middle of a match.  I didn't think much of it, and after having to do a hard reset of the Wii, I started playing a few matches again.
     While GoldenEye 007 has been running pretty well online for me, last night was my first night to experience the freezing issue, and you can see in the video below, it happened more than once:


Questions:
     Have any of you that have been playing GoldenEye 007 online, experienced the freezing issue?  If so, how often does it happen to you?


If anybody is interested in the GoldenEye 007, you can see prices for both bundles on Amazon.com linked below:
 

Can GoldenEye 007 (Wii) Legally be Ported to the Xbox 360 and PS3?

Coffee Beans:
     GoldenEye 007 on the Wii was a huge surprise to many when Nintendo showed the debut trailer for it at E3 this year(though because of the idiocy at IGN, it was spoiled to many the day before, when they uploaded the trailer and left it public for a few hours).
     When the announcement was made, many people probably wondered like me, "Will this GoldenEye be just like the original?"
     Two questions that also seemed to surface quickly after GoldenEye 007 Wii's announcement was, "Why the Wii?", and whether or not it would stay a Wii exclusive.

     I have seen a few comments that GoldenEye on the Wii can't be ported to the other consoles, because of Nintendo holding the license to the original; and also because Nintendo helped Activision with this version of GoldenEye, by providing advice and working some with Eurocom during development.

     So, from the information that we know about GoldenEye on the Wii, and past GoldenEye video games, does evidence suggest it will remain a Wii exclusive, or will it be a timed "exclusive" like many other games in history?  Can GoldenEye 007 on the Wii legally be ported to the Xbox 360 and PS3?  Let's take a look...

Roasting - GoldenEye's Console Gaming History:
     GoldenEye 007 was originally released on August 25, 1997.  The game was developed by Rareware, and published by Nintendo, for the N64.  The game was based off of the James Bond movie of the same name, and had players playing through levels as James Bond, who was imaged after Pierce Brosnan from the movie.  The game received critical praise when it was released, and sat at the top of the Nintendo sales chart for months.

     With the release of the new consoles this generation, and services like Microsoft's XBLA and Nintendo's Virtual Console, many wondered if GoldenEye 007 would get re-released.  Rare developed GoldenEye, but was purchased by Microsoft; Nintendo published GoldenEye 007.  So, according to many reports, both Microsoft and Nintendo would have to agree on re-releasing the game, but that hasn't happened.

     Fast-forward to November 22, 2004, and gamers were given a new GoldenEye game.  The game was GoldenEye: Rogue Agent, and it was developed and published by Electronic Arts.  GoldenEye: Rogue Agent did not have players in the role of James Bond, but instead players were playing as a...you guessed it, a "Rogue Agent" who had a "golden eye" of sorts.
     While GoldenEye: Rogue Agent was released on all the consoles at that time, GameCube, PS2 and Xbox; it was not received as well critically, as the original GoldenEye 007 on the N64.
     Here are the review score averages for GoldenEye: Rogue Agent on each console:

     Fast-forward again, to Tuesday, November 2, 2010.  GoldenEye 007 for the Wii was released, and since the initial announcement at E3, we learned that GoldenEye 007 on the Wii isn't a direct port of the N64 version, but it is a remake/re-imagining of the original Nintendo 64's GoldenEye 007 and the GoldenEye movie.

     GoldenEye 007 for the Wii was developed by Eurocom, and published by Activision; and Activision holds the James Bond license for making any James Bond video games.

     While GoldenEye 007 Wii has only been out a week now, the game seems to have been received pretty well by the "professionals".  While the game isn't reviewing as well as the original did, it is reviewing better than GoldenEye: Rogue Agent did a few years back.

     While players play as James Bond, they aren't playing the Pierce Brosnan James Bond character, instead James Bond in GoldenEye 007 for the Wii is imaged/acted by Daniel Craig, the current actor filling the role of James Bond in the movies and games.

Brewing - What We Know:

     So, we have three video games set in the James Bond universe, that all have the name GoldenEye in their titles.  Two are console "exclusives", while one was a multi-console release.

     As soon as the new GoldenEye was announced at E3, it seemed every preview/hands-on with the game quickly adapted to calling the game just "GoldenEye".  With the initial trailer showing off footage from the dam level, and gamers repeatedly hearing/reading "GoldenEye", many thought it was going to be a direct port of the original.

     The levels in GoldenEye 007 Wii are not designed exactly the same as the N64's GoldenEye, and there are different levels in the single-player campaign, as well as the multiplayer.

     One of the regular readers here on CoffeewithGames said two of his friends purchased the new Wii GoldenEye, but are planning to return it.  Why were they planning to return(or trade-in) GoldenEye already?

     According to NicodemusatNite, when speaking about his friends that purchased and are planning to return GoldenEye, he said, "Yeah, they didn't like the controls, and the multiplayer levels...(the) multiplayer levels aren't the same, and that was the biggest reason they got the game."

     While it appears Nintendo gave advice to Eurocom, only a few Nintendo employees are given a "thank you" in GoldenEye 007's credits.

     I think this "Thanks" is a big key whether GoldenEye 007 can be ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360, as it's a "Thanks" and not an actual credit to Nintendo for anything specific on the development/publishing side.

The Cup of Coffee aka The Verdict:

     Here's the list of things that are different from GoldenEye 007 on the Wii, compared to the original GoldenEye 007 on the Nintendo 64:

• GoldenEye Wii has Daniel Craig as James Bond, not Pierce Brosnan
• GoldenEye Wii was developed by Eurocom, not Rareware
• GoldenEye Wii was published by Activision, not Nintendo
• GoldenEye Wii's levels are different, redesigned some from the original, while others are completely new

     As for Nintendo being mentioned in the credits, I researched a few of the names from the Nintendo "thank you" list in the credits, and most seem to be in management or licensing departments/positions at Nintendo.

     Based off of this information, I would say that GoldenEye 007 can be ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360.  I don't think it's a matter anymore of "IF", but perhaps now the question should be, "When will GoldenEye 007 be ported to the PS3 and Xbox 360?"

Questions:

     If you have purchased GoldenEye 007 on the Wii, what do you think of it?  If you are playing online, my friend code for the game is, 2043-7355-3797.
     Do any of you think, like myself, GoldenEye 007 on the Wii will be a timed exclusive only, based on the information I provided above?


If you are interested in GoldenEye 007 for the Wii, or GoldenEye 007: Reloaded for the PS3 and Xbox 360, you can see prices listed on Amazon.com linked below:
      

The Wii's Other Daniel Craig James Bond Game Data - Not GoldenEye

Coffee Beans:
     If 2 years ago you had heard, "There will be a new James Bond game released for the Wii, with local and online multiplayer, based off of one of the James Bond movies.", what would you have thought?  My thoughts would probably have immediately flashed back to GoldenEye on the N64.
     Well, a James Bond game with local and online multiplayer, based off a movie, was released 2 years ago.  While it wasn't GoldenEye, the James Bond game that did release two years ago, and starred Daniel Craig, was James Bond 007: Quantum of Solace.
     Quantum of Solace was based off the James Bond movie of the same name, and was developed by Beenox for the Wii, and published by Activision.  While it was released on multiple consoles, when it released on the Wii, it had a MSRP of $49.99.

     Below the game-play data for Quantum of Solace on the Wii is pictured and broken down into sections.  I also cover the review scores for the game, as well as current Amazon.com sales data for Quantum of Solace.
     So, from November 4, 2008, through November 1, 2010, how many hours did Wii owners play in the James Bond universe?  Let's take a look!

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Quantum of Solace has 82,123 Wii owners reporting their play-time data, on the Wii's Nintendo Channel as of November 1, 2010.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Quantum of Solace has 1,513,856 Total Hours of game-play reported, with an average play-time of 18 Hours 26 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.

     The average play-time per session for this Bond game is just over 1 Hour 37 Minutes.

Review Score Averages:
     Quantum of Solace has a GameRankings.com review score average of just 54.55%, based on 11 "professional" review scores.

     Based on 116 user reviews on IGN.com, Quantum of Solace has a review score average of 7.7 out 10; basically 77%.  For comparison, IGN.com's Mark Bozon(no longer at IGN) reviewed the game, and gave it a 4.5 out 10.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Quantum of Solace's Amazon.com sale rank is currently #1,779, and is selling for $26.48.  While Quantum of Solace released on the Wii with a MSRP of $49.99, Amazon.com currently has its list price shown as $29.99. (recorded November 6, 2010 around 10:15PM)

Thoughts:
     In doing some research on the title, I learned that Wii version of Quantum of Solace was the only console version to feature local multiplayer.  While I knew the game had online multiplayer, it wasn't until today that I learned of the local multiplayer.
     I don't know if it was the "James Bond" name attached with the game, and/or if it was the word-of-mouth from other Wii owners, but the game-play data for Quantum of Solace is surprisingly higher than I thought it would be, considering the "professional" reviews of it.
     The review scores for Quantum of Solace are where I think things were interesting.  It seems most "professional" reviewers' thoughts on the game differed greatly, from a lot of Wii owners that purchased the game(or had it gifted perhaps) themselves.
     I think there was a disconnect between "professional" reviewers, and Wii owners that perhaps spent more time with the game, as I have discussed in the past.
     While Quantum of Solace isn't the Wii's most played FPS game, I think the game-play data shows that Wii owners enjoyed it more than the "professional" reviewers.

Questions:
     Did any of you play Quantum of Solace on any of the consoles?  If you played the Wii version specifically, what did you think of the game?  Is Quantum of Solace a James Bond game you would recommend to other console owners, looking for a discounted Bond game?


If you are interested in Quantum of Solace, you can see the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 versions on Amazon.com linked below: