The future of sports videogames

Videogames are getting closer and closer to emulating real life every year - at least in terms of looks.

This is mostly true in sports games. Gawkers are impressed - year-in, year-out - with how far graphics are being pushed. Nobody seems to mind that sports games are generally the same every year, albeit from a few minor upgrades and roster swap.

But how many people honestly care how a game looks? [The answer is "plenty"; have you seen sales figures for sports games nowadays?] Isn't the point of a videogame to enjoy playing it?

Enough with the technicalities. I'll let the videos do the talking for this post.

First up, let's take a look at "Madden NFL 2008," the yearly update to the million-selling series from Electronic Arts' Tiburon studio:

The players run like constipated robots (is that even possible?) and it's just plain boring to watch.

It's the exact same game as "Madden NFL 2001," except with a prettier face and a few extra (negligible) bells and whistles.

But wait, virtual pigskin fanatics, your savior has arrived.

"Backbreaker" is a new football game from NaturalMotion using cutting-edge animation technology.

Granted, you won't be wrapping up LT for a loss or making Eli Manning cry because of the game's lack of an NFL license, but it's the game itself that matters, right?

Right?

Information on the new technology can be found at http://naturalmotion.com/ .

Iron Man scared of Grand Theft Auto?

The Financial Times recently spoke with Electronic Arts CEO John Riccitiello on two potential spring blockbusters: the silver screen's "Iron Man" and the controversial, fashionably twisted mafioso crimefest, Rockstar Entertainment's "Grand Theft Auto IV (GTA4)."

For those not hip to gaming culture, GTA is on the same popularity/financial level as Bungie's "Halo," which recently set an opening-day U.S. sales record (including movies, music, etc.) by bringing in over $170 million.

Iron Man is slated to hit the big screen on May 2, just three days after GTA4's launch on Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's Playstation 3 consoles. Still following? Good.

Now here comes the dilemma: Do you drop $8.50 for a movie lasting an hour and a half, or $60 for 50 hours in front of the idiot box? With the economy nowadays, people probably aren't going to drop money on both (at least within such a close time period of each other).

"The buzz in Hollywood, which I heard from some Hollywood folks...is people are worried whether Iron Man the movie is going to get killed by Grand Theft Auto the game," Riccitiello told the Times.

Is the supposed fear well-founded? Perhaps, especially if the past is any indication.

According to Rockstar, the most recent GTA game, "San Andreas," has sold more than 21.5 million copies as of March 26.

Yep. Be afraid.

A new car

So this past Friday, I signed away my financial freedom for the next few years and bought a 2006 Pontiac Solstice convertible. Yeek.

But before you go thinking that the lives of small-town newspaper journalists are all glitz and glamour, there's some things you must first consider.

For instance, instead of driving my new cherry red coupe to a penthouse suite, I'm driving it to my parents' home where I live rent-free (God bless them). Hey, you save where you can, right?

I also make short movies, which are sold to Web sites like Break.com and ebaumsworld.com. Some of them have been featured on national television. It's like a second job, pretty much.

So no, I'm not selling blood on the side. I don't have an abdominal scar from when I bartered one of my kidneys on the black market.

...but seriously, donations can be sent to davidallen@shelbystar.com.