As some of you know, I’ve been watching the panels and talks from DICE 2002. One of the dominant themes of the show was attracting the mainstream and mass-market consumer. In 2012, the issue has changed. The mainstream consumer is a gamer. It’s hard to believe how far gaming has come in 10 years. Between consoles like the Nintendo Wii, mobile games, and Facebook games, the mass market is arguably a bigger deal than the enthusiast-gamer market.

Back then, the talk was about attracting casual consumers. These days, most people play some sort of videogame. Part of it is how the industry has progressed, but part of it is that gamers simply got older while a whole new generation has grown up with games as a standard form of entertainment. (And not to be morbid, but a lot of people that viewed videogames as a foreign or unusual thing simply died.)

Originally I was going to ask you, “Who is the mainstream gamer in 2012?” After typing all this out, perhaps the better question is, “How can companies turn casual gamers into enthusiast gamers?” Getting someone to play a game on the iPad 2 or on Facebook is easy. Is there an opportunity to “graduate” those gamers? Can they be turned into players that buy PlayStation Vitas and Xbox 720s? Who are the new targets in 2012 now that gaming in mainstream? How can traditional videogame companies snag them?

The early reviews are in! The North American launch is nearly here! The question is, “Are you going to buy a PlayStation Vita?” The reviews are generally positive. A lot of people are impressed with the Vita hardware and its capabilities. Some are not-so-impressed with the Vita’s inconsistent interface. Others are waiting for more and better games to come out. What’s your take on the Vita? Kindly vote in today’s poll and share your Vita-tastic thoughts in the comments section (please)!

As for me, I kind of have to buy one. A Vita will help me get some work and I need to keep current. That said, Sound Shapes is the only Vita game I’m truly jazzed about. I’m sure there will be plenty of Vita games that I’ll end up loving, but I’m not getting the “Must! Have! Now!” feeling I usually get when a new system launches. Part of it is that the portable landscape has changed dramatically thanks to iOS. Part of it is that I’m more excited for the iPad 3, which should be out in March.

Et vous? Share your feelings (like a Care Bear) on the PlayStation Vita.

Another DICE Summit has come and gone. As expected, it was a truly inspiring event. A conference attended by some of the most talented game developers in the world and some of the most savvy publishing executives in gaming is simply an amazing thing. It was an honor to attend, listen, learn, absorb, network, etc. This guy has been…urging me to write something deep and thoughtful. So here’s a lengthy story about several observations and occurrences from DICE 2012.

Waiting For the New Publishing Model: The programming at DICE was generally enjoyable and excellent. Fantastic talks were given by notable developers like Tim Sweeney and Tomonobu Itagaki. Enjoyable panels were conducted by industry luminaries like Ted Price, Mike Capps, and Michael Pachter. This year’s “outsiders” that were brought in to share their perspectives and how they apply to gaming were Isaac C. Gilmore (SEAL Team 7) and legendary songwriter/producer Glen Ballard. The topics and talks were mostly fun and interesting, but I was hoping to hear more about where game publishing is going.

Depending on your point of view, traditional game publishing is at a crossroads (at best) or in a crisis (at worst). Triple-A games will be fine, but publishers are going to have a hard time selling the rest. Most pundits agree that selling a boxed game for $60 is not going to work (well) for the majority of titles next generation. So what’s the alternative? How are publishers and developers going to succeed three years from now? How will videogame publishing be different five years from now? Will digital downloads and downloadable content play a much larger role? Is streaming the answer? Michael Pachter brought up the issue, but nobody else really got into it. I was hoping to hear more on the subject and disappointed that I didn’t.

After mentioning the matter to several people that I admire and respect, I received several interesting opinions on why it wasn’t being discussed. A lot of publishers are still trying to figure out what’s next and many are still formulating strategies. A handful of publishers have strategies in place, but don’t want to reveal specifics just yet. Then there are publishers that are just in oh-crap-what-the-hell-do-we-do-next mode. I’m very curious to see if alternative methods of game publishing will be a big deal at Game Developers Conference 2012.

Console/PC vs. Mobile/Social: It has been fascinating to watch the dynamics change between people in the console/PC space and the mobile/social space. When mobile and social gaming first started to blow up a few years ago, a lot of people viewed these newcomers with curiosity. The development crowd was the most welcoming. Console and PC game makers wanted to learn about how mobile and social game makers were reaching gamers in different ways. Both sides were learning and borrowing from each other. This shouldn’t have been surprising; creatives almost always feel a kinship with other creatives. At DICE 2012, the lines weren’t there; the feeling I got was that they all viewed each other as game creators. Very cool.

The publishing side has done a complete 180. Initially it was like, “Who are these interlopers that are taking away my console/PC game sales?!?” After some education and demonstrated success, traditional game publishers are now like, “Hi there successful mobile/social publisher! I’d like to buy you.” While the relationship doesn’t have the camaraderie I’ve observed on the development side, console/PC publishers seem to have a lot more respect and admiration for mobile/social game publishers. This was very much evident at DICE 2012.

The most resistance can be found among the videogame press. A lot of game journalists still feel that mobile games and social games aren’t “real” games. It’s kind of stupid and kind of annoying, but I get it. A lot of game journalists are people that are extremely passionate about console games. They grew up on NES, SNES, Genesis, Dreamcast, etc. They love the traditional console experience. Mobile and social games still feel foreign to many of them. Hopefully the attitude will change quickly. A lot of the comments I heard from game journalists on mobile and social games were just ignorant.

Activision’s Prototype Event: For whatever reason, Activision decided to hold a press event for Prototype 2 at the same time as DICE 2012. This didn’t matter for most DICE attendees, but it did take some of the press away from the conference. It’s a shame that some journalists left the incredible networking and learning opportunities at DICE to see a game that could have been shown…whenever really.

As a big fan of DICE and a supporter of the Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences, I thought it was disrespectful. Press events for games are a dime a dozen. It doesn’t matter when they happen. A conference like DICE is special and unique. I was surprised that Activision PR didn’t have a problem with detracting from DICE.

It looked especially bad when you consider that two of the DICE 2012 speakers were from Activision Blizzard, Blizzard executive vice president Frank Pearce is on the board of directors for the Academy, and a few Activision games were nominated for Interactive Achievement Awards. Don’t get me wrong, I’m sure that Pearce and Activision CEO Eric Hirshberg (both DICE 2012 speakers) had nothing to do with the event’s timing, but their minions should be criticized. Perhaps I’m overreacting, but I thought the timing of the Prototype 2 event was in poor taste.

Interactive Achievement Awards: I love this awards show. For entertainment purposes, Jay Mohr completely rocks as a host. His video-game specific humor cracks me up. It was awesome hearing him roast EA Rich Hilleman, Lord British, Itagaki, and others. Mohr was getting ripped to shreds on Twitter and some felt he wasn’t as good as in years past, but I thought he was terrific. I’m going to watch his opening monologue at least 100 times this year.

As far as prestige goes, the Interactive Achievement Awards and the Game Developers Choice Awards are hugely important to the gaming business. The IAAs are peer based and voted on by a committee featuring some of the top minds in the business. These awards are a big deal and it saddens me that most major gaming outlets don’t treat them like a big deal. I read dozens of angry rants bashing the Spike TV VGAs. The amount of space dedicated to the Interactive Achievement Awards? Sadly, it was only a fraction of the space dedicated to tired VGA-bashing articles. The only thing I can say about that is, “WTF?!?”

Lastly, watching Ed Logg receive the Pioneer Award and Tim Sweeney getting inducted into the AIAS Hall of Fame was awesome. These guys are incredible and it was brilliant being there to celebrate their accomplishments.

Hundreds of millions of Super Bowl advertising dollars have come and gone. A few of you mentioned being underwhelmed with Super Bowl XLVI’s commercials and I mostly agree with that sentiment. Having said that, there were several spots that caught my eye. Here are my 10 favorite Super Bowl XLVI commercials. After you’ve gobbled them up, please let me know which ads were your favorite.

1) The Avengers Teaser — Earth’s mightiest heroes (and also Hawkeye)! Scarlett Johansson in her remarkably tight Black Widow costume! I’m totally geeked out for this movie.

2) MetLife — Any commercial that brings together Voltron, Charlie Brown, Marvin the Martian, Mr. Magoo, etc. is pure win.

3) Kia — I will absolutely buy that men dream about Adriana Lima and dozens of other women in bikinis. I think it’s hilarious that Kia thinks men dream about old bands (Motley Crue) and old MMA fighters (Chuck Lidell).

4) Audi — Making fun of vampires is always a good thing.

5) Chevy Silverado — This was a cute and clever spot. Combining Barry Manilow, a post-apocalyptic world, and Twinkies is borderline genius.

6) Teleflora — More Adriana Lima! This time she shows off her body and her sexy Brazilian
accent.

7) Volkswagen — I’m a geek. This commercial features the Mos Eisley cantina. Of course I loved it!

G.I. Joe: Retaliation Teaser — The action looks slick and I’m a homer for movies starring The Rock.

9) Time Warner Cable — I’m really unhappy with my Time Warner Cable television and Internet service, but I have to give the company props for this commercial with Rick Gervais.

10) Fiat 500 Abarth — Sexy Italian woman dropping frothed milk on her breasts? Yes, you have my attention Fiat.

Based off a message I sent in the More-or-Less-Official RPad.TV Google+ Chat Room, I’ve been thinking a lot about materia. You know, those lovely magical balls (mind out of the gutter!) used in the world of Final Fantasy VII. If you could have one materia, what would it be and why? Would you go offensive? Maybe you’d like to summon Bahamut for afternoon tea chats? Or perhaps you’d like to heal you friends and family with restorative materia like Curaga or Esuna. Give it some thought and let me know your dream materia (please!).

Yuffie is a Materia Girl.

As for me, I’m stuck on a pair of materia from Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII. Initially I was thinking that Costly Punch would be the way to go; it would pretty much let me win any fight in a cheap and annoying way that would mentally scar my opponents. However, I’m more of a thief than a fighter. Mug materia would be much more useful to me. Being able to steal and hit at the same time would rule! In my head, Mug would work with friendly slaps too. My victims would lose valuable possessions (or more likely, Pez dispensers) after innocent pats on the back thanks to the deceptively awesome power of Mug!

So how about it? If you have one materia, what would it be and why?

The other day, RPadholic Lunias wrote a great post about achievements killing cheat codes. While millions of gamers enjoy achievements, trophies, and negasonic teenage warheads, these features have definitely lessened the use of cheats, cheat codes, and cheat devices. Do you miss the world of cheats? Or are you happy that the use of cheat codes has been curbed (or eliminated depending on your point of view) by achievements, trophies, and negaonic teenage warheads?

As for me, I definitely miss them. Even though the vast majority of my cheat use was for replays and I could probably still use cheats the same way today, I’m sure they would cost me a small amount of achievements or trophies. This, I cannot have. Yes, I’m one of those idiots that will sacrifice a bit of enjoyment for some meaningless points…though I suppose it’s really trading one type of enjoyment for another. I love my meaningless points!

How about you? Have achievements, trophies, and the like stopped you from cheating? Do you miss cheat codes? Out of curiosity, what’s your all-time favorite cheat code?

With the rumor that the Xbox 720 will have some sort of anti-used-game feature, I was curious to hear how much of a factor not playing used games will be for you. Most of us agree that blocking used games would be bad for consumers and retailers, but what’s it worth to you personally? Will it be a major purchasing consideration? Or will you just grin and bear it?

I see it playing out a bit like backwards compatibility. It will be a huge deal for a small number of gamers; there are some people that will not buy a console that can’t play used games (totally understandable). A larger group of people will make a lot of noise, scream, and shout about the travesty of consoles that can’t play used games…and go ahead and buy one despite their bluster. I believe that the majority of consumers won’t know or won’t care if a console can’t play used games.

So is this issue a deal breaker for you? Kindly let me know if not being able to play used games will be a factor in your future console purchasing decisions. Also let me know how you think most people will treat the issue (please!).

Nintendo has confirmed that the Wii U will be released in time for the 2012 holiday season. I know that a lot of you were down on the Wii and the Nintendo 3DS, but it’s my civic responsibility (not really) to check if you’re at all interested in picking up a Wii U. So how about it?!?

If you’re already on the hook, please tell me why you’re set to pick up a Wii U. If you’re definitely not buying it, please tell me what you don’t like about the system. If you’re taking the wait-and-see approach, please tell me what features and/or games you’re waiting for.

It was difficult watching the Australian Open semifinal between Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. I had no faith in Federer winning the match. He was never the strongest player on the tour, nor did he ever have the biggest serve, the most powerful ground strokes, or the most stinging volleys. His beautiful game is based on outstanding movement and precision ball striking. At age 30, he has lost half a step and his reaction time is a wee bit slower. Amazingly, he’s still good enough to go deep in any major tournament. I just don’t think he’s good enough to win another grand slam (without some fantastic luck and friendly draw).

Roger Federer is the most dominant athlete I’ve ever seen. He terrorized the tour from 2004 to 2007, winning 11 of the 16 grand slam tournaments in that time period. He spent 285 consecutive weeks as the number-one ranked player in the world. He reached the semifinals or better in 23 grand slam tournaments in a row. He appeared in 18 of 19 grand slam finals from the 2005 Wimbledon Championships through the 2010 Australian Open. He’s had some rough moments over the last few years, particularly on clay and against Nadal, but I don’t think I’ll see any athlete like that again in my lifetime. He’s been playing at the highest level of the sport since 2003 and for four years he was virtually unstoppable.

Of course, that’s just my opinion. Who would you say is the most dominant athlete you’ve ever seen?

Radiation from the largest solar flare in six years will be hitting planet Earth today. This, of course, means that many of us will be getting new super powers. Some of the effects will be immediate, while others will see their powers manifest over a longer period of time. Since a number of us are about to become Übermensch, I thought it would be a great time to discuss the superhero powers of your dreams.

As for me, I’m going to go with Wonder Man’s ionic powers. The dude is pretty much immortal and invulnerable since he’s made of ionic energy. Not having to eat, drink, or breathe is handy too — super useful for apocalyptic events and alien invasions. And to be completely honest, this choice is mostly derived from picking up Peter David’s underrated My Fair Super Hero from the discount rack at the comic-book store recently.

Now it’s your turn! As your body is bombarded with an unusually high amount of solar radiation today, what kind of super powers are you hoping to get?