A Year's Worth of Data - Red Steel 2

Coffee Beans
Red Steel 2 released on March 23, 2010 as a Wii exclusive, that was also a WM+ exclusive title...meaning Red Steel 2 isn't/wasn't playable without a WM+ unit.  Red Steel 2 released with a software only version of the game for $49.99, and a Wii MotionPlus bundled version for $59.99.

Red Steel 2 saw its first price drop just 4 months after it released, in July 2010.  The MSRP for the software only version dropped from $49.99, down to $39.99; and the WM+ bundle dropped from $59.99, down to $49.99. The game has since seen another price drop, now with the regular version selling for $19.99, or less; and the WM+ bundle selling for $29.99, or less.

How many hours have Wii owners reported playing Red Steel 2 in the last year, with 371 days reported?  Let's take a look!

Did You Board the Nintendo 3DS Hype Train?

Bean 1, since he can't use a 3DS, volunteered to drive the hype train.

Coffee Beans
When Game Stop started taking pre-orders for the 3DS back in December, I made a quick trip down to the store closest to my house on December 27, and put $50 down to reserve it.

Just today, I went back by that store and canceled my Nintendo 3DS pre-order.

Reserve receipt on left, 12/27/10; cancel receipt on right, 3/29/11...same associate both times.

Now, why did I cancel my 3DS pre-order?  Well, there are few reasons, and here they are:

The Wii's First Online Multiplayer Game - Pokemon Battle Revolution Data Report

Coffee Beans
Pokemon Battle Revolution (PBR) was released on June 25, 2007 in North America, with a MSRP of $49.99.  Pokemon Battle Revolution was the very first Wii game to have online multi-player, as well as connectivity with some of the Pokemon Nintendo DS games.

Pokemon Battle Revolution was rated "E" for Everyone by the ESRB, with "Mild Fantasy Violence" as the only content listed for parents to be aware of.

How many hours have Wii owners spent battling in Pokemon Battle Revolution?  Let's take a look!

Spring Break & Video Game Treasures!

The beach...where we didn't spend Spring Break!

     Three weeks ago my wife and I, along with our son, flew to Louisiana to visit family over my Spring Break from college.  Our original flight was canceled due to mechanical issues, so we left a day late, on March 3.
     While we were down, we visited both my family and Mrs. Coffee's family, over a period of 5 days.  The weekend we were there, we stayed with my wife's family.  Her older brother owns a PS3 and had been enjoying Call of Duty: Black Ops, and he ended up going to his house Friday night, and bringing the PS3 and Black Ops over.
     While my wife fell asleep on the couch early(11-ish probably) Friday night, I stayed up until about 3AM with her two brothers, playing Black Ops online.  We would take turns, and play one round each, then pass the controller off.
     We played Black Ops Saturday during the day some, and then late Saturday night as well, until about 3AM again.  Earlier Saturday evening, Mrs. Coffee's older brother went and purchased another PS3 controller, so we could play splitscreen online multi-player, and we had a lot of fun doing it.
     The reason this post has been delayed for 2 weeks is because I was trying to get a video from one of the multi-player matches that was played in Black Ops over that weekend, but I haven't had any luck getting it with Call of Duty's Theater Mode.

     So, after spending time with Mrs. Coffee's family, and playing Black Ops on Friday, Saturday, and little Sunday afternoon, we headed back to my parents' house.
     I think it was Monday night, the night before we were leaving, that my brother came into the living room holding a shoe box.  The shoe box was treasure chest of video games that had been sitting in my closest for probably the last 10 years!
     "What video game treasures were in the shoe box?"  I'm glad you asked!  Take a look:

     If you can't read the games, and don't know them by the game cases, they are:

• Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES)
• Donkey Kong Country (SNES)
• Madden NFL '94 (SNES)
• Star Fox (SNES)
• Super Mario World (SNES)
• Street Fighter II Turbo (SNES)

     "What'd you do with those video game treasures?"  Glad you asked, again!  Like any good pirate(or bad pirate?), I stuffed them in my carry-on, and they made the return trip with us.  The only problem now, is finding a NES and SNES to play them with, as our systems are AWOL for the moment.

     Now, not only did I acquire the treasure chest of games while we were down, but a good friend came to visit us while we were at my parents' house, and he brought two PS3 games for me to have...they are:

     Madden NFL 09 and Far Cry 2, both for the PS3.

     We enjoyed the trip visiting family and friends, minus the canceled flight cutting a day out of it, and I really didn't think I would be returning with eight video games, but I guess they'll help me with more stories on the site perhaps!

     Have any of you ever re-discovered video games, that had just been sitting in a box, perhaps for years, like I did over my Spring Break?

GoldenEye 007 vs Call of Duty: Black Ops - Data Report

     We last looked at a direct comparison of GoldenEye 007's and Call of Duty: Black Ops' reported game-play hours back in December, on Christmas day!
     In that report, Call of Duty: Black Ops had more hours reported than GoldenEye 007, but Black Ops had fewer players reporting the data, than GoldenEye.

     In the 92 days since the last report, have GoldenEye 007 players kept pace with Call of Duty: Black Ops players on the Wii?  Let's take a look!

Caffeinated Thoughts: My Nintendo 3DS Demo Unit Impressions

Coming soon, coffee in 3D. Imagine that caffeine boost!

Coffee Beans:
     When news started spreading around the internet last week that 3DS demo units were popping up in Best Buy stores, I decided to start checking one of the stores I drive by almost daily.
     Last Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I stopped by the Best Buy store, but there was no 3DS demo unit.  I didn't check over the weekend, as I didn't go by the store Friday or Saturday, and I took a different route home from church on Sunday.

     I stopped by the Best Buy again on Monday after class and I walked straight to the video game department; neatly on an end-cap on the backside of the video game department was an Aqua Blue Nintendo 3DS.  Now, why this Best Buy store had the 3DS demo unit on the back of the video game department didn't make much sense to me, as I thought a new device like the 3DS would have an end-cap at the front of the department, but that didn't stop me from finding it.
     I broke out my Zi8 and was recording the 3DS demo setup and the system itself, when a sales guy walked up.  I didn't want to be rude and ignore him, so I said, "Hey, have you seen the 3DS?"  He hadn't seen it, but had heard about it.
     The sales guy wasn't a Best Buy employee, but one of those sales guys from either the cable or satellite company trying to get Best Buy customers to sign up for service, and somehow I passed his radar when walking through the store...and his homing beacon activated and he followed me all the way to the back.
     Once I told him I was just there checking out the 3DS system, he never mentioned the cable or satellite service, but did hang around to watch me fiddle with the system.

Pilotwings Resort, the only demo that was available.

The Roast - Day 1:
     I started the Pilotwings Resort demo with the 3D slider in the off position, and once I selected an airplane mission, I then started to adjust the 3D slider.  I wasn't holding the system up in front of my face(as the instructions show!), but I could see the screen changing...though the screen wasn't changing the images for me with any noticeable 3D effect.
     Now, you may be thinking, "Well, why weren't you holding the 3DS up in front of your face?"  Well, when I play my DS Lite I'm used to playing with it held down, usually resting my hands on my legs, so I started playing the 3DS demo with it at a downward angle from my eyes.
     I thought I remembered hearing that it can take a few minutes/seconds for your eyes to properly adjust, so I was thinking that was the issue.  I would give it about 10-20 seconds, and when I didn't notice a 3D effect, I would adjust the 3D slider.  I actually noticed my left eye feeling a bit strained, because of adjusting the 3D slider so many times.
     While I wasn't noticing any real 3D effect, the sales guy was still standing behind my left shoulder, watching.  A few times I adjusted the 3D slider up, he said, "Is it clear for you?", because as many have noted, the "3D window" is very small on the 3DS, and for anybody not directly centered on it, the top 3D screen will be blurry.
     I played around with it a little while longer, before heading home.

     So, what was my first day/experience impressions of the 3DS?  Well, I couldn't say I was impressed, and I honestly thought Pilotwings Resort was not the correct choice to show off the capabilities of the system...though perhaps it is?
     I commented Monday on RespawnAction's impressions of the 3DS, "If Pilotwings is the extent of 3D effects, I really don't see how the 3DS is going to take off.  I hope they have some more games in-store, that really show off the 3D effects."

The Roast - Day 2:
     I decided to stop back by Best Buy on Tuesday after class, and give the 3DS demo another try.  I headed straight to the 3DS demo unit, and nobody was around looking at it, and I wasn't followed this time.
     As I was picking up the 3DS unit from the demo station, a Best Buy employee that was helping another customer looked over and said, "Make sure to hold that thing up in front of your face, directly in front of your eyes.  The closer, probably the better; though each person is a little different."
     I will say, his advice is the best advice there is for getting the 3D effect to work with the demo station.  If you go out to find a 3DS demo station and test it, make sure to pick up the unit and actually hold it up in front of your face, like the pictures and videos show of people using it.

The way to view 3D

     So, I was holding it up, and started to adjust the 3D slider.  As I adjusted it this time, the images on the screen were changing, and I could tell there was a difference.  I had finally found a "sweet" spot with the 3D, and noticed the slight depth that had been added to the display.
     Now, I'll be very honest, my initial reaction wasn't, "Wow!  This is awesome!", it was more, "Wow...this is it?"
     I spent a good amount of time with the 3DS demo unit on Tuesday, as I had the "Time expired..." message pop up twice on me.  Being that nobody else was around though, I just kept playing it.  I tried out all the missions in the demo, and tried the 3D slider from 100%, to just barely being on...and everywhere else.

Filtered Thoughts:
     As for the system itself, I didn't really examine it a lot, just because of the way they have it secured, but I do think the circle pad worked well in the game.
     I did turn the system off and back on, hoping I could access the main menu, but it immediately loaded the Pilotwings Resort demo.

Don't expect to see the menu if you find a 3DS demo station.

     I had read how the 3D effect for the 3DS was more like looking into a window, than actual images flying off the screen, so I wasn't expecting movie theater 3D effects.
     One issue I think the 3DS will have, is how small the 3D effect window is.  I don't exactly like the idea of holding the system up in my face the entire time to get the 3D effect.  While Nintendo is touting, "3D without glasses!", it's a very limited "3D without glasses", as the viewing angles are extremely narrow.
     Yesterday I was chatting with Brad, from WhoBurnedMyToast, and said semi-jokingly about the 3D effect, "3D without glasses...just don't move the screen and please hold it really steady while playing, and make sure that you aren't wanting anybody else to see the 3D effect while you're playing."

     From my two brief days at the 3DS demo station, I really think Nintendo could have picked a better game that showed off the 3DS' 3D capabilities, or just had the system running a 3D demo video(as they did at E3).
     Perhaps if I spend more time with the 3DS, and try out the AR games included with it, I will enjoy it more, as the 3DS demo didn't make me feel thrilled about having the system reserved...it actually made me think about canceling my reservation.
     While I haven't canceled my reservation, I think I'll make a decision over the weekend as to whether or not I'll be picking up the 3DS day one.  I'm more interested in the AR games that are included with the system, than any retail game, so at this point it looks like purchasing the system is the only way, for now, that I'll get to try the AR games.
     Overall, the 3DS demo unit for me was like drinking a cup of decaf coffee, while thinking it was caffeinated coffee, but not knowing it until later when waking up from the nap it was supposed to prevent you from taking.  I was expecting the 3DS demo unit to provide a positive "Wow" factor for me, but I didn't get that from my time with the system.

Questions:
     Have any of you found a 3DS demo station, and given it a try?  If so, what do you think about it?  Was the 3D effect what you were expecting, and was it a "Wow, this is awesome!", or more like mine, a "Wow...this is it?" for you?

You can read some other 3DS impressions from sites I follow, at the following links below:
Nintendo 3DS Demo Tour...with video reactions from "Real" people
The '3DS First Impressions' from Joe Average
3DS and Pilotwings Resort Hands-On Impressions!

If any of you haven't reserved the 3DS yet, you can still reserve or pre-order the Nintendo 3DS system on Amazon.com, with the links below:
  

Duck the Puck, Again! NHL 2K11's Hours Debut

Coffee Beans:
     NHL 2K11 was released on August 24, 2010 as a Wii console exclusive, with a MSRP of $49.99.
     NHL 2K11 was developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports.  The game features online multi-player with Wii Speak support, as well as Wii MotionPlus support.

     The ESRB rating for NHL 2K11 is E10+, or Everyone 10+, with "Mild Violence" being the only content listed for parents to be aware of.  The "Mild Violence" refers mainly to fights that players may occasionally get into during the hockey matches.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent on the ice in NHL 2K11, since it released?  Let's take a look!

Site Note: Coffee with Games' Reader Points Updated

     I mentioned a few weeks back in my "February Brewed, March Brewing" post that I had updated the way I calculate the monthly reader points, and the reader points for January and February, "should be posted in the next 2 weeks."
     Well, nearly 3 weeks later, the reader points for January and February have been posted!

     The monthly reader points are a way that I'm hoping to be able to "reward" readers in some way , but it's something I've been working out, and as of now, I've settled on a solution...I think!

     So, if the following readers can send me an email to Scott(@)CoffeewithGames.com, with your username in the title line, I'll reply to it:
     Chuckpebble
     gLitterbug
     WesFX
     Jonath
     Chalgyr

Time To Unwind! Kirby's Epic Yarn Data Report

Coffee Beans:
     We last looked at a full data report for Kirby's Epic Yarn from data that was recorded on December 6, you can read that full report HERE.
     Since my last report, Kirby's Epic Yarn was released in Australia, and also in Europe.
     Also since the last report, Nintendo released a financial statement that showed Kirby's Epic Yarn had sold 1.38 million copies by the end of December 2010.  Of the 1.38 million reported sold, approximately 900,000 of those units were sold "overseas", being North America.

     How many hours have Wii owners spent in Dream Land playing Kirby's Epic Yarn, with 149 days reported?  Let's take a look!

Limited Hours, but Not Editions! Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition Data Report

Coffee Beans:
     We last looked at Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition's data on January 3, when its game-play hours debuted on the Nintendo Channel.
     When Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition was released on December 12, 2010, many perhaps thought(like I did) it was going to be true to its name, and be a one-time "Limited Edition" print, and the game quickly sold-out at retailers after it released.
     A few days after my last report on the game, Wired.com reported that Nintendo was considering a reprint for Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition, and soon news started trickling off different websites and from stores, confirming a reprint release for Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition would hit stores again, this time on March 13(this past Sunday!).

     How many hours have Wii owners spent playing Super Mario All-Stars: Limited Edition, with 93 days of game-play reported since it released(the first time)?  Let's take a look!

Little Mac's Hours in the Boxing Ring: Punch-Out!!'s Data Report

Coffee Beans:
     Whether it's former boxers like Sugar Ray Robinson or Muhammad Ali, or even current boxers like Manny Pacquiao(nicknamed Pac-Man!), there have been many well known boxers in real life.

     What about the video game world though, who is the best known video game boxer?
     Well, I think Little Mac is the best known video game boxer, and the one with the longest track record in games.
     Little Mac first debuted on home consoles in 1987 in Mike Tyson's Punch-Out!! for the NES, and then his career was revived in 1994 with the release of Super Punch-Out!! for the SNES.
     Nearly 15 years had passed since Super Punch-Out!!, when Little Mac came out of retirement and starred in Punch-Out!! for the Nintendo Wii in May 2009.

     While real life boxers spend many hours in the ring during their careers, how many hours has Little Mac spent in the boxing ring with 659 days of data reported, since he returned to it in Punch-Out!! in 2009?  Let's take a look!

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

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data:
     Punch-Out!! has approximately 156,418 Wii owners reporting their game-play data through the Wii's Nintendo Channel.

Reporting Player Increase:
     How many more players are reporting their play-time data for Punch-Out!!, since a December 2009 ,report?
     Punch-Out!! has seen an increase of about 87,598 more players reporting game-play data, since that 2009 report.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported:
     Punch-Out!! has 1,662,448 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 979,502 Total Hours in the last 463 days reported; and Punch-Out!!'s average play-time is 10 Hours 37 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.

     The average boxing time(play-time) per session for Punch-Out!! is just over 1 Hour 25 Minutes.


Sale Rank & Advertised Price:
     Punch-Out!!'s Amazon.com sale rank is #714, and it's currently selling for $43.37 from a third party vendor.
     (Sale rank and advertised price recorded around 8:45PM on 3-13-11)

Review Score Averages:
     Punch-Out!!'s "professional" review score average is 87.66%, based on 47 reviews on GameRankings.com.

     Punch-Out!! has a 4.5 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 123 customer reviews.
     Punch-Out!!'s customer review score average is 86.34%, when converted to a 100% review scale.

     (Review score averages recorded around 8:45PM on 3-13-11)

Odd Bean:
     A boxing match typically consists of 12 rounds, with each round lasting 3 minutes.  The boxers get a one minute break between each round, so total ring time could be 48 minutes if the match lasts the full 12 rounds with a judges' decision.
     Based on 48 minutes for a full 12 rounds of boxing, Little Mac's average time in the ring "Per person" reporting data would be equivalent to a little over thirteen, twelve round, boxing matches.

Filtered Thoughts:
     I really enjoyed Punch-Out!! on the NES when I played it as a child, and I have enjoyed my time with the Virtual Console version...even though I haven't beat Mr. Dream yet!
     I was excited when they announced the new Punch-Out!! for the Wii, but after reading more about the game, it seemed to be more of a graphically updated NES Punch-Out!! for the Wii, than a fully re-imagined game for the series.
     I still haven't played Punch-Out!! on the Wii, but I do know they added some features to the game such as Wii Balance Board support, and Wii Remote and Nunchuk controls, as well as adding new boxers to the game's roster.  The game's "Title Defense Mode" also seems like a nice addition from what I know it, basically being a harder difficulty setting that is unlocked after completing the game, with the boxers you faced earlier in Little Mac's career now having new moves, and/or defenses, to learn.
     While I understand the idea, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!", from what I know of Punch-Out!! on the Wii, it just seems like it was played safe by Nintendo, and developer Next Level Games.  Perhaps I'm wrong, and Punch-Out!! on the Wii is easily worth the MSRP of $49.99?

     If you haven't seen any footage of Punch-Out!! on the Wii, here's a trailer that shows off several of the boxers in the game Little Mac faces, as well as some of the boxers as they appear in the game's Title Defense Mode:


Questions:
     Did any of you purchase Punch-Out!! on the Wii, and think the game is worth, or not worth, the asking price of $49.99? If so, leave a comment letting us know why you think it is, and about how many hours of game-play you have gotten out of the game.  If you don't think Punch-Out!! is worth the $49.99, what price do you think the game is worth?

If anybody is interested in Punch-Out!! for the Wii, you can see prices for it on Amazon.com linked below:
 

Amit the Charmer - Challenge Mode Battle Rank A

Coffee Beans:
     It's been a while since I have posted any video from Rage of the Gladiator, but earlier this week I received a comment on one of my YouTube videos, and the comment said, "I was wondering if you have an Amit the Charmer Challenge Mode video?  Or do you have any hints on beating him...?"
     Well, I had already uploaded several videos from Rage of the Gladiator, but none were a full battle against Amit the Charmer.  So, I sat down last night and recorded some matches against him.

     Amit the Charmer's description in Rage of the Gladiator reads, "Amit is a dirty vagabond who roams the streets of Avalance.  He's a well-known con-artist that's always looking for handouts.  Rumor has it that if you don't pay him off, he'll charm you with his flute, and then order his snakes to devour you."

     SPOILER ALERT: The video below is of a full battle against Amit the Charmer, in Rage of the Gladiator's Challenge Mode.  If you don't want to see a full battle against him, you shouldn't watch the video, but if you're stuck on him, or trying to achieve a higher Rank, the video may be of some help to you.


Filtered Thoughts:
     I was using the "Horizontal" controls in the match, which are the controls using just the Wii Remote.  One big piece of advice I have when playing against Amit the Charmer in Challenge Mode, and just trying to beat him, is to never skip any in match animations/cut-scenes.  What I mean by this, is never press the button that skips the animations of you getting up from the ground if you get knocked down, and don't skip the animations/cut-scene in between rounds when you knock him down...just let the animations play out.
     There are a few boss battles in Rage of the Gladiator that will sometimes have the attack timing thrown off briefly if you skip the animations during the match, and Amit the Charmer is one of those bosses, so it's best to just let them play out.
     As I stated in the video, if you're interested in Rage of the Gladiator you can currently download a free demo for the game on the Wii's Shop Channel, and play through the game's first three boss battles.  I highly suggest giving the game a try, especially if you were ever interested in the Punch-Out games, but perhaps never gave them a chance.

Questions:
     Have any of you downloaded the demo for Rage of the Gladiator, and if so, what do you think of what you have played?
     If you already own the full WiiWare version of Rage of the Gladiator are there any boss battles you would like to see footage of?

If anybody is interested in Rage of the Gladiator, the full WiiWare version is available to download for just 1000 Wii Points, or $10.  You can use a Wii Points card, or you can use a credit card, to purchase it from the Wii's Shop Channel.
 

Analysis: Killzone 3's February 2011 Sales Ranks with Chart

Coffee Beans:
     Killzone 3 was released on February 22, 2011 in North America on the PS3.  The game released with a "Standard" edition with a MSRP of $59.99, as well as a "Collector's" edition with a MSRP of $129.99.
     Killzone 3 was developed by Guerrilla Games, and published by Sony.  The ESRB gave Killzone 3 a "M for Mature" rating, with "Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language" listed as content for buyers to be aware of.

     Killzone 3 was Sony's biggest PS3 release in February, but how did that translate into online sales ranks?  Let's take a look!

Click chart to enlarge

Chart Information:
     The chart above shows the sales ranks for Killzone 3's Standard edition on the PS3, with ranks recorded from February 1 through February 28, 2011.  The sales ranks are reflective of pre-order sales ranks and release/post-release sales ranks for February.  All times shown on the chart were recorded as Pacific Standard Times.
     I recorded the date/time and sale rank of Killzone 3, as well as the price Amazon.com had listed, but the prices aren't listed in the chart, though I will make a few notes regarding sales ranks and prices below.
     The chart above is not designed to replace the NPD sales numbers for February, but is designed to be a supplement for the NPD February 2011 numbers, and perhaps give us an idea of what affected sales for Killzone 3 during the month, such as reviews and prices.

Highs & Lows:
     The highest recorded sale rank for Killzone 3 was #1, on February 19, February 20, February 21, and February 22; around 4:30PM, 8:10PM, 9:30PM, 7:35PM and 10:50PM respectively.  Killzone 3 was selling for $59.99 with a $20 Amazon.com Credit and Pre-Order Bonus(image below) on February 19, February 20, and February 21.  On February 22 it was selling for $59.49 with the $20 Amazon.com Credit, both times I recorded the sale rank that day.

$20 Credit and Exclusive Killzone 3 Pre-Order Bonus as recorded on 2-19-11

     The lowest recorded sale rank for Killzone 3 was #18, on February 1 around 10:50PM, and it was selling for $57.99 when the sale rank was recorded.

Monthly Averages:
     Pre-Order Average - Killzone 3's average sale rank before it released was #8, from February 1 through February 21.
     Release/Post-Release Average - Killzone 3's average Amazon.com sale rank after it released was #4, from February 22 through February 28.
     Overall Monthly Average - Killzone 3 had an overall monthly sale rank of #7, when I averaged all the Amazon.com sales ranks from February 1 through February 28.


Critical Reception:
     Killzone 3's first "professional" review scores started being published on the internet on February 3.  GameRankings.com had 13 reviews posted for Killzone 3 on February 3, and the average review score for just the internet reviews posted on February 3 for Killzone 3 was 87.91%.

     Killzone 3's current "professional" review score average is 86.94%, based on 49 reviews on GameRankings.com.
     Killzone 3's current customer review score average is 87.88%, based on 109 customer reviews on Amazon.com.
     (Current review scores recorded around 3:00PM on 3-10-11)

Agree, or disagree?

Filtered Thoughts:
     Killzone 3 saw the biggest jump in sale rank from February 2 to February 3, moving up eight spots and into Amazon.com's "Top 10" in video games.  On February 2, Killzone 3's sale rank was #14 around 9:10PM; on February 3 around 8:25PM, Killzone 3 had a sale rank of #6.
     The first reviews for Killzone 3 started being published on the internet in the 23 hours between sale rank recordings on February 2 and February 3.  I think it's pretty evident that the reviews are what caused the increase in sale rank, because the listed price for Killzone 3 was $57.99 on both February 2 and February 3; so a change in price wouldn't have been a contributing factor for either day.

     I didn't record Killzone 3 at the #1 sale rank in February, until February 19, which was also the first day I recorded Amazon.com offering the $20 Credit and Pre-Order Bonus with the game.
     February 22 was the last day I recorded Amazon.com offering the $20 Credit with Killzone 3, and February 22 was also the last day in February that I recorded Killzone 3 with the #1 Amazon Bestsellers Rank in video games.
      I find it interesting that it seems like a $20 Credit is what it took to get Killzone 3 to the #1 spot on Amazon.com in February, and as soon as the $20 Credit was removed from the orders, the game's sale rank decreased, and never reached the #1 spot again in February.
     Perhaps Killzone 3 commercials airing for the game also helped, though I don't know how many commercials Sony had, or when they started airing them.  I know THIS commercial was uploaded February 18 to Kevin Butler's YouTube account, so if it was airing on February 19, it probably helped the sale rank as well.

     While I haven't purchased Killzone 3 myself, I know a few readers here have played the game, either through the Open Multi-Player Beta a few weeks back(like myself) or the retail version they purchased.  If you missed my FPS Friday post in February on Killzone 3, here's the video I included with the post showing an online multi-player match:


Questions:
     Do you think the Amazon.com sales ranks for Killzone 3 will be reflective of the February NPD data, with Killzone 3 being in the "Top 10" of the NPD software sold, but perhaps not in the "Top 5" for the month?
     Also, if you purchased Killzone 3, how did you purchase it: online, or in a retail store?


If anybody is interested in Killzone 3, you can see prices for both the Standard and Collector's versions on Amazon.com linked below:
  

The Hours of Extraction - Dead Space Extraction's Hours Report

Coffee Beans
Dead Space 2 released just a few weeks ago on the PS3, and if you're a PS3 owner and you picked up the Dead Space 2 Collector's Edition, you're probably aware you also now own Dead Space Extraction.

If you're a PS3 owner and you didn't purchase the Dead Space 2 Collector's Edition, but you are interested in Dead Space Extraction, the good news is you can download the game from the PlayStation Store for just $14.99.

Now, you may be wondering, "Is Dead Space Extraction really worth it?" or, "How many hours can I expect from it?"

Well, being that Dead Space Extraction was originally released on the Nintendo Wii back in September of 2009, we can use the data reported through the Nintendo Channel to get a good idea of how many hours of game-play you can expect.

How many hours have Wii owners spent blasting Necromorphs in Dead Space Extraction with 525 days of game-play reported, and how many hours can you expect if you're just picking it up?  Let's take a look!

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

Approx. Number of Players Reporting Data
Dead Space Extraction has approximately 31,369 Wii owners that have reported their game-play data through the Nintendo Channel.

Reporting Player Increase
How many more players are reporting their play-time data since we last looked at Dead Space Extraction's play-time? Dead Space Extraction has seen an increase of about 13,866 more players reporting game-play data, since July 5, 2010.

Average & Total Game-Play Hours Reported
Dead Space Extraction has 221,980 Total Hours of game-play reported, an increase of 102,523 Total Hours in the last 246 days reported. Dead Space Extraction's average play-time is 7 Hours 5 Minutes "Per person" reporting data.

The average play-time per session for Dead Space Extraction on the Wii is just over 1 Hour 48 Minutes. This means Wii owners average almost 2 hours each time they play Dead Space Extraction, but it appears once they complete the game, they don't really go back to it.

Sale Rank & Advertised Price (Wii)
Dead Space Extraction's Amazon.com sale rank is #1,546, and it is currently selling for $19.49. (Sale rank and advertised price recorded around 4:30PM on 3-9-11.)

Review Score Averages
Dead Space Extraction's "professional" review score average is 83.81%, based on 58 reviews on GameRankings.com.

Dead Space Extraction has a 4 out of 5 Stars rating on Amazon.com, based on 57 customer reviews. Dead Space Extraction's customer review score average is 79.29%, when converted to a 100% review scale.

(Review score averages recorded around 4:30PM on 3-9-11.)

Odd Bean
I actually rented Dead Space Extraction for the Wii, but only played it once, and not for very long.  Here's my Dead Space Extraction reported game-play data for the Wii version:

As you can see, my reported time is a lot lower than the overall average.

Filtered Thoughts
When Dead Space Extraction was released on the Wii, it released with a MSRP of $49.99. While Wii owners probably got the short end of the Necromorph deal with the original $50 price tag on the game, you can now find the Wii retail version for under $30.

I didn't really give Dead Space Extraction a chance, but both the Wii and PS3(so far) versions have been received pretty well by the gaming press, with the PS3 version of Dead Space Extraction having a "professional" review score average of 84.33%, based on 3 reviews on GameRankings.com.

I think it's safe to say you can expect to get at least 7-10 hours of game-play from Dead Space Extraction on the PS3, especially with the challenge mode and the Trophies to obtain, based on the average reported by Wii owners.

If you're a PS3 owner with the Sony Move bundle and you're looking for a new game to play with it, based on the game-play hours reported and the review score averages for the game, I don't think you can go wrong with purchasing Dead Space Extraction for under $20.

Questions
If you have played, or have been playing, either version of Dead Space Extraction, is it a game you would recommend to other gamers?  If you're a fan of the Dead Space story, do you feel Dead Space Extraction does a good job of staying within the universe set up in the original Dead Space, and perhaps even now in Dead Space 2?

If anybody is interested in Dead Space Extraction, you can see the Wii version linked below, along with a Playstation Network Card:
  

PS3 vs. Xbox 360: Marvel vs. Capcom 3's February Sales Ranks Per System - Analysis with Chart

Coffee Beans:
     Marvel vs. Capcom 3: Fate of Two Worlds was released on February 15, 2011 in North America, for both the PS3 and Xbox 360.  The game released with a "Standard" edition with a MSRP for $59.99, as well as a "Special" edition which quickly sold-out upon release.
     The game was developed and published by Capcom, and the ESRB gave Marvel vs. Capcom 3 a "T for Teen" rating, and has "Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Sexual Themes, Violence" listed as content for parents to be aware of.

     With Marvel vs. Capcom 3 being the first new game released for the series in more than 10 years, did more PS3 owners or more Xbox 360 owners apparently purchase Marvel vs. Capcom 3 during February?  Let's take a look!

Click chart to enlarge

Chart Info:
     The chart above shows the sales ranks for Marvel vs. Capcom 3's Standard edition on the PS3 and Xbox 360, with ranks recorded February 1 through February 28, 2011.  The sales ranks are reflective of pre-order sales ranks and release/post-release sales ranks in February.  All times were recorded as Pacific Standard Times.
     Not only did I record the date/time and sale rank of each version, but I also recorded the price of each game version as Amazon.com had it listed, but the price is not listed in the chart, mainly because both games were priced nearly the same each time I was recording the data.
     The chart above is not supposed to replace the NPD sales numbers for February, but is designed to be a supplement for the NPD numbers, and perhaps give us idea of what the sales breakdown was for each version of the game during February.

Highs & Lows:
     The highest recorded sale rank for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on the PS3 was #5, on February 14 and February 15 around 7:10PM and 9:25AM, respectively.  The game was selling for $59.99 both days/times the sales ranks were recorded.
     The lowest recorded sale rank for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on the PS3 was #62, on February 27 around 8:15PM, and it was selling for $56.99 when the sale rank was recorded.

     The highest recorded sale rank for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on the Xbox 360 was #6, on February 15 and February 16, around 7:10PM and 9:25AM, respectively.
     The lowest recorded sale rank for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 on the Xbox 360 was #84, on February 27 around 8:15PM.  The game was selling for $56.99 when the sale rank was recorded.

Overall Monthly Average:
     The PS3 version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 had an overall monthly sales rank of #23 when I averaged all the Amazon.com sales ranks together.

     The Xbox 360 version of Marvel vs. Capcom 3 had an overall monthly sales rank of #33 when I averaged all the Amazon.com sales ranks together for it.

Critical Reception:
     Marvel vs. Capcom 3's "professional" review scores started being published on the internet on February 14, the day before the game released.  Several sites that posted reviews on February 14 are: IGN, 1UP, Game Informer, and Game Spot.

     Marvel vs. Capcom 3's current review score average on the PS3 is 86.35%, based on 33 reviews on GameRankings.com.
     Marvel vs. Capcom 3's current review score average on the Xbox 360 is 87.10%, based on 43 reviews on GameRankings.com.

Agree, or disagree?

Filtered Thoughts:
     I don't own and haven't played Marvel vs. Capcom 3, but I know a few of the regular readers here picked up the game, and you can read Chalgyr's review for Marvel vs. Capcom 3, HERE.
     Again, while we don't know the official NPD numbers for February, I hope the recorded sales ranks can give us an idea of perhaps how Marvel vs. Capcom 3 was selling on the PS3 and Xbox 360 throughout the month.
    I really think it's interesting that neither the PS3 version, nor the Xbox 360 version, remained in the Amazon.com "Top 10" video games more than 5 days in any of my recorded sales ranks, and considering it had been a while since the last Marvel vs. Capcom game, I really expected at least one version to be in the "Top 10" for at least one full week of the month.
     Not only did neither version remain in the "Top 10" for a full week, but both versions fell out of the "Top 20" video game rankings by February 20, and neither entered the "Top 20", or "Top 10", for the rest of the month.  I think seeing the overall monthly average for both versions being below the #20 spot is interesting, but not necessarily meaning the games together wouldn't be in the NPD "Top 20" for February if they release the "total" sales numbers for the month.

Questions:
     Do you think the Amazon.com sales ranks for Marvel vs. Capcom 3 will be reflective of the February NPD data, and perhaps the PS3 version did outsell the Xbox 360 version for the month of February?
     If you purchased Marvel vs. Capcom 3, which version did you purchase, and is it a fighting game you would recommend to other PS3 and Xbox 360 owners perhaps looking for a good fighting game?

If anybody is interested in Marvel vs. Capcom 3, you can see prices for both the PS3 and Xbox 360 versions on Amazon.com linked below:
  

February Brewed, March Brewing - Coffees Consumed, Games Played

Coffee Beans:
     Well, February is over.  For those of you that are following the Reader Points each month, I have January's calculated, but I've made a few adjustments to the algorithm I use to calculate the points, so January and February Reader Points should be posted in the next 2 weeks.

     While I did get sick with the flu in the middle of February, I was able to play quite a few games, and drink some good coffees as well.
     I'm feeling better now, and hopefully with a new month upon us, there won't be anymore sickness!  So, before March takes over, let's take a look at the coffees I consumed and the video games I played during February!

Coffees Consumed in February:

• Caribou Coffee Reindeer Blend(Medium Dark Roast) - This has been a slowly consumed coffee in our house.  I received it as a Christmas gift from Mrs. Coffee, and it's a 16 oz. whole bean bag.  I still have about half the bag left, so depending on how many tests I have this March, it may/may not last the month depending on that.  I enjoy this coffee blend, and our son has fun grinding the coffee beans in our coffee grinder with me at night sometimes, so that's probably why I'm consuming it slower than the regular big tubs of coffee we normally have.
• Maxwell House Custom Roasted Dark Roast Ground Coffee - This was a 270 cup coffee tub, and we finished it during the last week of February.  It was kind of funny, because I knew we were running low, and I kept rationing my pots of coffee thinking, "Hmmm, I need this to last a few more days until Mrs. Coffee goes to the grocery store again."  Well, I was Mr. Unobservant and didn't notice the other 270 cup coffee tub Mrs. Coffee had already purchased and had sitting in the pantry!
• Maxwell House French Roast Ground Coffee - This was the 270 cup coffee container my wife purchased us in February, that I didn't notice for a few days.  I believe this is a newer blend of the Maxwell House coffees we have tried, and it has a pretty solid flavor.

Video Games Played in February:

• Donkey Kong Country Returns - Mrs. Coffee and I completed Donkey Kong Country Returns with all the KONG letters found, and all the puzzle pieces found, on February 8.  We had an absolute blast playing through the game, and if I hadn't of gotten the flu, I would have finished my write-up about our play-through of the game.  Hopefully the write-up will be finished, and with more game-play footage, in the next 2 weeks.
• GoldenEye 007 - I played some more of GoldenEye's single-player campaign, finishing another mission on the "Agent" difficulty setting.  I also hopped online early in February, and played some online multi-player matches: Golden Gun, Black Box, and Team Conflict.  I think I'll be playing GoldenEye less, until I finish(or give up) on my New Year's Video Game Resolution.
• Greg Hastings Paintball 2 - I'm still working my way through the campaign in Greg Hastings Paintball 2 for the Wii.  The game becomes more challenging the further you get, and you have to make sure to trade players out, and/or train your team, to make sure they can compete against the higher ranked teams.  I honestly don't know how any "reviewer" of this game put up a review within a week of receiving the game.  I have put probably 15+ hours just into the campaign, and I'm only about 50% through it now.
• Killzone 3 Demo - If you didn't see my FPS Friday that was on my time with the Killzone 3 multi-player beta, you can read my thoughts, and even watch a video I put together of an online multi-player match HERE.
• Fluidity WiiWare Demo - I downloaded and played through the WiiWare demo for Fluidity, and think it's an interesting idea.  If you missed my data report, you can see how many game-play hours Fluidity debuted on the Nintendo Channel with in February, HERE.  The game only costs $12, and from the game-play hours reported, it appears most Wii owners are getting almost 9 hours of game-play from the game.  I think 9 hours of game-play for $12, is an awesome deal.
• Dementium II - After finding where I "lost" my DS Lite, I started playing some more Dementium II.  I have put a little more than four hours into the game, and a little more than half of those hours were in February.  The game does keep to its atmosphere pretty well, and I'm enjoying it, though it does make me wish the DS(and soon the 3DS) had dual analogs.
• Call of Duty: Black Ops - So, I finally beat Call of Duty: Black Ops on the PS3.  I completed the game's campaign this past Friday night, and I thought the campaign improved the further along it went.  The storyline was interesting, and it would make for an interesting second play-through knowing certain things now, but I don't think that will happen.
• ExciteBots: Trick Racing - If you missed my post on Monday, "An Exciting Wii Racer - Ignored by Nintendo, Not Known by Wii Owners", I talked about how I think ExciteBots: Trick Racing is a game that has flown under the radar of many Wii owners since it released, simply because there was little, or no, advertising for the game.  I started playing ExciteBots again when a fellow blogger, Dustin from MyLittleGamer.Blogspot.com, said his son was going to be reviewing the game.  I was able to hop online one day and play a few races against against his son, Daemion, and Dustin as well.  You can see a video of two of our races in the post from Monday.  You can read Daemion's review for ExciteBots HERE.
• Resistance: Fall of Man - This game is one of the many on my backlog, that I had not touched in months/years.  This was one of my first PS3 games I purchased, when it was on sale on Amazon.com for like $15 one day and I had a gift card to use.  I started playing Resistance: Fall of Man again, after completing Black Ops last Friday.  I'm actually enjoying the game's setting/story, and the game is turning out to be longer than I expected.  I don't know how many hours it will take to finish, but I've already played it more than Call of Duty: Black Ops, and still haven't finished it yet.
• Rage of the Gladiator WiiWare Demo - Okay, this is probably the game on the list.  I own the full WiiWare version of Rage of the Gladiator.  I purchased the WiiWare version of Rage of the Gladiator the day it released on the service last year, yet when I saw the WiiWare demo for Rage of the Gladiator had been released last week, I went and downloaded it.  Why?  Well, I played through the demo to see what you will experience, and it's a pretty solid demo.  I think it offers you enough game-play, to give you a good idea of what to expect from the full version.  I highly suggest you all go and download the Rage of the Gladiator WiiWare demo for FREE, and give it a try.  Rage of the Gladiator is my most played WiiWare game so far, and if you enjoyed the old Punch-Out games, or even the new Wii Punch-Out!! I hear, you should enjoy Rage of the Gladiator.

Thoughts/Questions:

     From my original list of ten games on my New Year's resolution list, I completed just Call of Duty: Black Ops in February, but played three others on the list.  Hopefully in March I can complete several more off the list, and perhaps even provide coverage/thoughts on the games that I complete.

     I really wasn't sure how February was going to go, but I ended up playing more games and game demos than I thought I was at the beginning of the month, with ten total for the month.

     So, what video games did you end up playing in February, and did any of you perhaps try a new coffee blend in February, that you perhaps hadn't tried before?