Let's Investigate! Disney Guilty Party's Game-Play Hours

Coffee Beans:
     Disney Guilty Party was released on August 31, 2010 for the Nintendo Wii with a MSRP of $39.99.  The game was developed by Wideload Games, and published by Disney Interactive Studios.

     A portion of the game's description says, "Disney Guilty Party is a fun and hilarious mystery party game, exclusively for Wii™ console.  Friends and family play as the savvy sleuths of the world-famous Dickens Detective Agency to investigate a series of mysteries and identify the guilty party."

     How many hours have Wii owners spent investigating the series of mysteries, in the 154 days since Disney Guilty Party released?  Let's take a look!

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

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Disney Guilty Party has 7,614 Wii owners reporting their game-play data through the Wii's Nintendo Channel, for its "hours" debut.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Disney Guilty Party has 51,536 Total Hours of game-play reported on its debut, with an average "investigation" time of 6 Hours 46 Minutes "Per person"(or console) reporting data.
     Disney Guilty Party's average play-time per session is just over 2 Hours 2 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Disney Guilty Party's Amazon.com sale rank is #329, and it is currently selling for $27.99.
     (Sale rank and advertised price were recorded around 10:55PM, on 1-31-11)

Review Score Averages:
     Disney Guilty Party's "professional" review score average is 78.71%, based on 14 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     Disney Guilty Party has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 65 customer reviews.
     When converted to a 100% scale, Disney Guilty Party's customer review score average is 82.76%.

Review score averages were recorded around 10:55PM, on 1-31-11

Odd Bean:
     Looking at the game's 51,536 "Total Hours" reported, if the Dickens Detective Agency was a real life agency, it would have made between $2,061,440 and $5,153,600 in the 154 days reported; based on the average private investigator fees.


Filtered Thoughts:
     I became interested in Disney Guilty Party when I saw the first trailer for it last year.  I still haven't played it though, but the game does look like it would be fun; especially as an alternative to the board games Clue and Guess Who.
     If you don't know what Disney Guilty Party is about, here's a brief trailer to give you an clue:


     As for the game-play hours, I think seeing Guilty Party debut in just 154 days is really good for this type of game, especially coming from a third party publisher on the Wii.
     As I mentioned in the "Coffee Beans" section, when Disney Guilty Party released it had a MSRP of $39.99.  It appears the game has seen a price drop since it released, as Amazon.com has its list price now at $29.99.

Questions:
     Have any of you played Disney Guilty Party?  If so, what do you think about it, and is it a game you would recommend to other Wii owners?

If anybody is interested in Disney Guilty Party, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com linked below:
 

Amazon.com Deals - 50+ PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 Accessories/Games

Coffee Beans:
     The following list contains games and accessories for the PS3, Wii, and Xbox 360 consoles.  The list is separated by console, and the accessories/games are arranged alphabetically for easier browsing.
     Every accessory/game listed is either sold directly from Amazon.com, or is fulfilled by Amazon.com, which means you won't have to deal with third party vendors.
     Every accessory and game listed also either ships for free, or will ship for free with orders totaling $25, if the game is below $25.
     Just clicking on the name of each accessory or game listed below, will redirect you to the Amazon.com page where you can see the price.

PS3:
3D Dot Game Heroes for $14.99(Save 63%, Free Standard Shipping)
AmazonBasics High Speed HDMI Cable(6.5 Feet) Supports Ethernet, 3D, and Audio Return for $8.99(Ships Free with Orders Over $25)
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for $39.07(Save 39.07, Free Shipping Include)
Demon's Souls for $19.99(Save 33%, Free Standard Shipping Included)

DualShock 3 Wireless Controller - Black for $39.99(Save 27%, Free Shipping Included)
DualShock 3 Wireless Controller - Blue for $43.99(Save 20%, Free Shipping Included)
DualShock 3 Wireless Controller - Red for $43.89(Save 20%, Free Shipping Included)

DualShock 3 and God of War Collection Bundle - Red for 59.99(Free Shipping Included)
DualShock 3 and LittleBigPlanet: Game of the Year Edition - Black for $59.99(Free Shipping Included)
DualShock 3 and Ratchet & Clank: A Crack in Time - Blue for $59.99(Free Shipping Included)

EA Sports Active 2 for $39.99(Save 33%, Free Shipping Included)
Eternal Sonata for $16.99(Save 43%, Ships Free with Orders Over $25)
FIFA Soccer 11 for $44.99(Save 25%, Free Shipping Included)
Final Fantasy XIII for $29.49(Save 26%, Free Shipping Included)
Gran Turismo 5 for $44.00(Save 27%, Free Shipping Included!)

James Bond 007: Blood Stone for $26.99(Save 46%, Free Shipping Included)
Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe for $16.29(Save 46%, Ships Free with Orders Over $25)
NBA Jam for $29.99(Save 40%, Free Shipping Included)

Red Dead Redemption for $29.99(Save 25%, Free Shipping Included)
Resistance: Fall of Man for $19.99(Save 33%, Ships Free with Orders Over $25)
Super Street Fighter IV for $18.49(Save 38%, Ships Free with Orders Over $25)
UNCHARTED 2: Among Thieves - Game of the Year Edition for $39.96(Save 20%, Free Shipping Included)

Yakuza 3 for $22.96(Save 62%, Ships Free with Orders Over $25)
Zumba Fitness for $29.99(Save 25%, Free Shipping Included)

Wii:
Call of Duty: Black Ops for $39.99(Save 20%, Free Shipping Included)
Disney Epic Mickey for $39.99(Save 20%, Free Shipping Included)
EA Sports Active 2 for $39.99(Save 33%, FREE Shipping Included)
Just Dance Kids for $19.99(Save 33%, Free Standard Shipping Included)

Kirby's Epic Yarn for $39.54(Save 22%, Free Shipping Include)
Mario Kart Wii  w/ Wii Wheel for $39.99(Save 20%, Free Shipping Included)
New Super Mario Bros. Wii for $34.99(Save 20%, Free Shipping Included)

GoldenEye 007's Multi-player Black Box Mode - Defense

     The description for GoldenEye 007's Black Box multi-player mode reads, "MI6 must locate and destroy the black box.  The enemy must pick it up and download data from it.  The winning team is whoever completes their objective first."
     Earlier this month I wrote about GoldenEye 007's Black Box mode and I specifically talked about playing on the MI6 team, with the objective to destroy the black box.  You can read the post "James Bond's GoldenEye 007 Black Box Mode - Offense" HERE, and a video is included in the post showing me playing on the "Offense" team.

     Defense - If you're the "enemy" team, as the description reads, your objective is to download the data from it.  You "download data" from the black box by carrying it around for a certain period of time.  I label this team as the "defensive" team, because you're trying to protect the black box from the other team.
     The black box is picked up when any of the players on the enemy team runs into/over it.  You don't have to press any button to grab it, just simply run into/over the black box, and your player will pick it up.

     The players on the other team, MI6, can't pick the black box up, so you don't have to worry with them running off with it.

     When you pick up the black box, you need to be aware of two things:
     1)  You sprinting ability is basically useless, BECAUSE if/when you try to sprint, you drop the black box
     2)  You're switched to a pistol for your main weapon, and you can't switch to your other weapons unless you drop the black box

     If what you just read isn't clear, hopefully the following video will show you how GoldenEye 007's Black Box mode is supposed to play out, when you're on the "enemy" team and have to "download the data" from the box.


Filtered Thoughts:
     I really think the enemy "defensive" team is at a disadvantage compared to the MI6 "offensive" team, in GoldenEye 007's Black Box mode.
     The reason I think the enemy team is at a disadvantage is because the carrier of the black box is basically penalized with slower movement and by having their regular weapon choice, switched to a pistol.
     Also, if the black box can be destroyed in under a minute, legitimately; then that gives the "offensive" team another advantage, because as the video shows it takes about 1 Minute 30 Seconds of holding the black box to download all the data from it.

     So, when playing the Black Box mode and you're on the enemy team, I would highly suggest finding a corner that has limited entrance for the enemies, as I did in the video.  The "offensive" team was only able to come at me from my front and right sides, so I didn't have to worry with my back or left sides.
     Teamwork is probably the biggest factor of surviving though, and if it weren't for my teammates providing excellent defense for me, there's no way we would have won that match.

     If anybody is playing GoldenEye 007 on a regular basis online, feel free to add my friend code - 2043-7355-3797, and leave your friend code in the comments, or email it to me.

Questions:
     Have any of you been playing GoldenEye 007's multi-player lately on the Wii?  If so, are you finding yourself playing any particular multi-player mode more regularly than the others?  My most played mode would be Team Conflict.
     Also, if you play the Black Box mode a lot, do you have any tips for winning when playing as the "offensive" or "defensive" teams?


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

FPS Friday - Brothers in Arms: Double Time

Coffee Beans:
     Brothers in Arms: Double Time(BiA:DT) was released on September 23, 2008 for the Wii, with a MSRP of $49.99.
     BiA:DT was co-developed by Gearbox Software and Demiurge Studios, and published by Ubisoft.  Brothers in Arms: Double Time received a "Mature" rating from the ESRB for content such as, "Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language".

     A brief description for the game says, "The award winning WWII franchise comes to WIi with all of the action, story and authenticity that has critics and fans eager for more.  Play as Sergeant Matt Baker or Joe Hartsock, leading your squad behind enemy lines through the Normandy invasion in 31 playable levels."

     How many hours have Wii owners reported playing Brothers in Arms: Double Time in the 854 days from September 23, 2008 to January 24, 2011?  Let's take a look!

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

Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Brothers in Arms: Double Time has approximately 10,488 Wii owners reporting their game-play data through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Brothers in Arms: Double Time has 88,394 Total Hours of game-play reported, with an average play-time of 8 Hours 26 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     BiA:DT's average play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 37 Minutes.

Sale Rank and Advertised Price:
     Brothers in Arms: Double Time's Amazon.com sale rank is #7,537, and its current advertised price is $9.15 + 7.99 shipping, from a third party vendor.
     (Sale rank and advertised price recorded around 11:50PM, on 1-28-11)

Review Scores:
     Brothers in Arms: Double Time's "professional" review score average is 46.47%, based on 15 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     BiA:DT has a 3.5 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 10 customer reviews.
     Double Time's customer review score average is 74%, when converted to a 100% review scale.  You can see the customer review scores breakdown in the image below:

     (Review score averages recorded around 11:50PM, on 1-28-11)

Filtered Thoughts:
     I haven't played Brothers in Arms: Double Time, and actually I haven't played any of the games from the Brothers in Arms franchise.  It's probably one of the few war games franchises I haven't played.
     When I read the game had 31 levels in it, I was very surprised by the number of levels...that's because before doing this report, I didn't know Brothers in Arms: Double Time was a compilation of two games from the Brothers in Arms series.
     Brothers in Arms: Double Time is a compilation of the Road to Hill 30 and Earned in Blood games from the Brothers in Arms series.
  
     As for the reported game-play data, I'm surprised to see the average play-time "Per person" is only 8 Hours 26 Minutes.  If the reported hours "Per person" is reflective of the game's completion time, that means the 31 levels average just more than 16 minutes each, which I would think makes the game have a more arcade feel for the mission structure.

     Knowing that Brothers in Arms: Double Time is really two games in one, actually made me interested in it. Also, considering the game has seen a MSRP drop since it released, and can be purchased for $29.99 or less, is a plus I think.

Questions:
     Have any of you played Brothers in Arms: Double Time on the Wii?  If so, did the game's levels/missions have a more arcade feel to them, compared to other FPS games where the missions are perhaps longer?


If anybody is interested in Brothers in Arms: Double Time for the Nintendo Wii, you can see prices for the game on Amazon.com linked below:
  

Contest/Giveaway Winner!

Coffee Beans:
     Last Wednesday, I posted about a Coffee with Games contest/give-away.  The time for the contest/give-away has expired, and now it's time to announce the winner!

How I Chose the Winner:
1)  I kept an empty Maxwell House Dark Roast 270 cup coffee container.

2)  I dropped the entries into the coffee container, then snapped the lid on.

3)  I gave it a good shaking...then, I opened the lid and drew the name...

     Congratulations to Chalgyr on winning the contest!  The package is in the mail, and should arrive probably next Monday or Tuesday!

Filtered Thoughts:
     Thanks to everybody that participated in the contest!  I really do appreciate the time everybody took to enter; and keep an eye out, because there should be another contest/giveaway within the next 2 months!

NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits - First Look Game-Play Hours Report

Coffee Beans:
     NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits was released through Nintendo's WiiWare service on August 10, 2009 in North America.  NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits was developed and published by Over the Top Games, and is still available for download through the WiiWare service for 1000 Wii Points, which is $10.

     A brief description for NyxQuest reads, "Visit Ancient Greece and rescue Icarus."  The game is also for one or two players, and with two players, "...one controls Nyx, the other will control the powers from the gods!"
     The ESRB rating for NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits is "E for Everyone" with "Mild Fantasy Violence" being the only content listed for parents to be aware of.
  
     How many hours have Wii owners spent in Ancient Greece with Nyx attempting to rescue Icarus, over the 533 days reported?  Let's take a look!

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

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits has 9,273 Wii owners reporting game-play data through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Average & Total Hours Reported:
     NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits has 50,765 Total Hours of game-play reported, with an average of play-time of 5 Hours 29 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits' average play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 7 Minutes.

Sales Info:
     While NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits isn't showing in the top 20 on the WiiWare's "Popular Titles" section, considering the game does have hours showing, is definitely a good sign for it.
     Based on the approximate number of gamers reporting data, 9,273, and the $10 price point of NyxQuest; Over the Top Games' net sales on the WiiWare version of NyxQuest would be about $92,730 in the United States, before profit sharing with Nintendo.

Review Score:
     NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits' "professional" review score average is 81.21%, based on 14 reviews on GameRankings.com.

Filtered Thoughts:
     I played the WiiWare demo for NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits, almost a year ago probably.  While I haven't played the full game, I think the demo did a good job showing what to expect from the game.
     If you want to get an idea of how NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits plays, here's a trailer showing some footage from the game:


     If you think you might be interested in the game, but aren't sure if you want to purchase it as a WiiWare title, the game is also available for PC and Mac.  The PC version is also available on Steam.  I think it's interesting that the PC and Mac versions of NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits are only $4.99, while the WiiWare version is still $10.  I'm guessing that's a Nintendo related issue, since I don't think any WiiWare game has dropped in price since being released..
     You can try a demo for the PC and Mac version of the game, HERE.

     As for the data, I think the average hours reported "Per person" being more than 5 hours is really good for a WiiWare game that costs only $10, and even less now on PCs and Macs.  Considering many $50 and $60 retail games can be beaten in under 10 hours these days, I think the reported hours for this game are encouraging, and I may have to purchase it.

Questions:
     Have any of you played NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits?  If so, which version did you play, and what did you think about the game?  Is NyxQuest a WiiWare title you would recommend to other Wii owners looking for a good 2D platforming game?


You can use a Wii Points card, or a credit card, as pictured below to purchase NyxQuest: Kindred Spirits from the Nintendo Wii's Shop Channel.
 

Are Wii Owners Artistic? uDraw Studio's Debut Game-Play Hours

Coffee Beans:
     The uDraw Studio - Game and Tablet bundle was released on November 14, 2010 in North America with a MSRP of $69.99.  The uDraw GameTablet was developed by THQ, while the software, uDraw Studio, was developed by Pipeworks Software.

     The description for uDraw Studio reads, "Discover your inner artist with uDraw Studio.  Utilizing the uDraw GameTablet, players can finally express their own individual artistic creativity on Wii."
     The ESRB rating for uDraw Studio is "E for Everyone", and there isn't any "Content" listed for parents to be aware of.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent drawing with the uDraw GameTablet and uDraw Studio, in the 72 days reported?  Let's take a look!

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

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     uDraw Studio has 20,375 Wii owners reporting their game-play hours through the Wii's Nintendo Channel, for its "hours" debut.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     uDraw Studio has 54,723 Total Hours of game-play reported for its debut, with an average drawing/play-time of 2 Hours 41 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.
     uDraw Studio's average play-time per session is just over 1 Hour 5 Minutes.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     The uDraw Studio - Game and Tablet bundle's Amazon.com sale rank is #97, and it is currently selling for $60.71.
     (Sale rank and price recorded around 4:15PM, on 1-25-11)

Review Score Averages:
     uDraw Studio's "professional" review score average is 60%, based on just 1 review on GameRankings.com.

     uDraw Studio has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 74 customer reviews.
     uDraw Studio's customer review score average is 77.29%, when converted to a 100% review scale.
     You can see the customers review scores in the image below:

     (Review score averages recorded around 4:15PM, on 1-25-11)

Filtered Thoughts:
     I don't own and I haven't played with the uDraw Studio Game and Tablet, but I like the idea behind it.  With uDraw Studio being on the TV and also being a wireless tablet, I think it is a great option for parents to let their kids draw and save their drawings as digital files, and the parents don't have to worry with the crayons/markers.
     If you haven't seen what the uDraw Studio Game and Table bundle is about, here's a trailer that presents the idea behind it, and an image that shows the GameTablet upclose with a few descriptions on it:

Image courtesy of WorldofuDraw.com

     THQ is expecting the tablet to be a big seller, and many stores sold-out of the uDraw Studio Game and Tablet bundle during the holidays.
     In addition to the uDraw Studio software bundled with the GameTablet, there are currently two more games available that use the GameTablet, Dood's Big Adventure - uDraw and Pictionary - uDraw.

     As for the game-play hours reported, the one thing I'm most surprised about the uDraw Studio bundle is how quickly its hours debuted.
     You may be thinking, "It took 72 days, is that really fast for a game?"  Well, it's definitely not as fast as some other Wii games...but the uDraw Studio Game and Tablet bundle debuted faster than Rock Band 3's game-play hours did.
     Rock Band 3 took 77 days from its release for game-play hours to debut, while the uDraw Studio Game and Tablet took just 72 days.
     Why compare/mention it to Rock Band 3's debut data?  Because both Rock Band 3 and the uDraw Studio are peripheral based "games", except Rock Band 3 is an established franchise, while the uDraw Studio Game and Tablet was a brand new idea for the Wii.
     I really did think that uDraw Studio would take longer than an already established franchise, like Rock Band 3, to debut.

     So, does this data show that some Wii owners are artistic?  Well, I do think the data is encouraging to see 20,000+ Wii consoles reporting a little more than 2 hours of time, attempting to draw/paint things with the program.
     If you want to see some of the drawings that have been done with uDraw Studio, check out this gallery, http://www.worldofudraw.com/art-spotlight.

     As for my interest in the uDraw Studio Game and Tablet bundle, being that Mrs. Coffee and I have a little coffee bean, our son, and he enjoys scribbling on a doodle pad, I'm kind of interested in it now, for him.

Questions:
     Have any of you played with the uDraw Studio Game and Tablet bundle?  If so, what do you think about it?  Is this software and tablet helping you to become the next Picasso?
     Also, have any of you played the other two games that are compatible with the GameTablet?

If anybody is interested in the uDraw Studio Game and Tablet bundle, or the two additional games that are compatible with it; you can see prices for them on Amazon.com linked below: