MTV Multiplayer: If we can choose to buy a Decepticon-style "Transformers" game, then how about a "Sim City: Donkey" and "Sim City: Elephant"?
This entry was posted on 5/4/2007 9:51 AM and is filed under MTV News Multiplayer,DS matters,PC Stuff.
Don't be cynical. Try not be jaded. Yes, Activision is borrowing from Nintendo's "Pokemon" and "Nintendogs" money-making playbook and releasing both Autobot and Decepticon versions of their "Transformers" movie DS games. But as I report in Thursday's Multiplayer there are some meaningful distinctions and an interesting meta-game -- almost an ARG -- coming from that approach.
Click the link to find out, but basically they're talking about philosophical gameplay differences affecting each game. The one they told me was that players of the "Decepticon" version will get points for menacing, destructive play and "Autobot" players won't. Now you might not think this argues for two different versions of a game.
Why not let gamers choose their play style all from a single cartridge? Well, if you did, then you wouldn't get the daily, play-by-Wi-Fi global meta-game Activision will enable with a consumer population split into two factions.
Imagine EA releasing Democratic and Republican versions of "Sim City," each game weighted to support the political philosophies of the respective party. And then picture some global competition to see whether the Democratic players or Republican players are performing better at the game overall. Yes? No? Not enough room for the Naderites?
