Lessons From the Markdown Bin: Good Deals to Clunkers
Most video game publishers cringe when their titles end up in the bin marked “$20 or Less.” It’s a sure sign that the game’s life cycle has neared its end.
But what about the games that start out priced less than $20? The “value” segment of the video game business has taken off, led by last year’s surprise hit, “Deer Hunter.”
No good deed goes uncopied in the video game world, so no sooner had WizardWorks’ “Deer Hunter” racked up impressive sales--at one point becoming the best-selling title in the country--than other companies launched low-priced games of their own.
Most offer activities such as snowmobile racing, water skiing, fishing and, oh yes, hunting. That rather limited assortment prompts some developers to deride the segment as “redneck games.” Get past the snobbery, and games developed for casual players--you know, the 95% of people who don’t devote all their time and money to keeping their machines up to snuff--make a lot of sense.
Like any game player, I’m all for lower prices. But the question consumers should ask is whether there is any real value in low-priced games. Or are they just cheap, assembly-line titles squeezed out to keep fresh product on the shelves?
The answer lies in a sample of titles by Head Games, which Activision acquired last year for the express purpose of publishing less-expensive games. “Extreme Boards & Blades,” “Extreme Mountain Biking,” “Extreme Rodeo” and “Extreme Wintersports” highlight the best and worst in cheaper games.
Aside from sharing the word “extreme” in their titles, all the games are sponsored by other companies. “Boards & Blades,” for instance, is presented by Mountain Dew. Trek bicycle company slapped its name on “Mountain Biking.” And Justin Boots did the same with “Rodeo.” I’m not a big fan of paying good money--even if it is just $20--to be bombarded with advertising.
That aside, the games run from pretty good to just plain awful. In other words, they mirror the universe of higher-priced games. All of these games will run on a Pentium 166, although “Boards & Blades” and “Wintersports” require a 3D card.
“Boards & Blades,” for instance, is a painfully sloppy skateboarding and in-line skating game that rewards players for doing tricks in places such as corporate office parks.
And I doubt even the most die-hard fan of the genre would dig the crummy graphics, awkward control and goofs that plague “Boards & Blades.” Characters sometimes get stuck in a game environment. They run in place or just don’t respond.
The environments themselves are nothing special and everything moves ever so slowly. If this game weren’t already priced at a discount, it would quickly end up there.
“Extreme Mountain Biking,” on the other hand, gives players a little of what they crave. I was reminded instantly of Microsoft’s “Motorcross Madness” because many of the tracks look just as good as in a game twice the price.
Missing is the speed, but this is, after all, mountain biking. Players navigate jumps and other obstacles in some tricky courses. The control is a little looser than I prefer, but my only real complaint about the game was its directional marker.
Because some of the courses are unmarked, players follow a little green arrow that hovers above the rider. It’s supposed to guide players from turn to turn. But mine kept fritzing out, spinning one way and then another as I tried to follow it.
I was annoyed before “Extreme Rodeo” even finished installing itself. The confirmation sound on each click is that of a whinnying horse. Cute at first. By the third time? Grating.
Luckily, I made it into the game. “Rodeo” is a hoot. Players can choose from bronco riding, calf roping, barrel racing and other rodeo mainstays. Silly as it sounds, it’s tricky to stay atop a virtual bull.
“Rodeo” provides good in-game instruction to augment the rather skimpy manual. Players unfamiliar with the rules of rodeo or the control of the game should pay close attention. Otherwise, some of the events are over before players even know what’s happening.
Finally, “Extreme Winter Sports” was a no-show. After installation, the game kept crashing my machine before it got to the main menu. It looks fun: The ability to ski, snowboard or snowmobile on a bunch of different tracks. But looks matter little if the game doesn’t work.
Maybe it was me or my machine, but in four years of writing this column I have never been unable to get a game running. I spent two hours monkeying with “Extreme Winter Sports” with no luck.
Some value.
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Times staff writer Aaron Curtiss reviews video games every Monday in The Cutting Edge. To comment on a column or to suggest games for review, send e-mail to aaron.curtiss@latimes.com.
(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)
Essentials
Extreme Boards & Blades
Platform: PC
Publisher: Head Games
ESRB* rating: Everyone
Price: $19.95
Bottom Line: Glitchy
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Extreme Mountain Biking
Platform: PC
Publisher: Head Games
ESRB* rating: Everyone
Price: $19.95
Bottom Line: Has its moments
*
Extreme Rodeo
Platform: PC
Publisher: Head Games
ESRB* rating: Everyone
Price: $19.95
Bottom Line: A real hoot
*
Extreme Wintersports
Platform: PC
Publisher: Head Games
ESRB* rating: Everyone
Price: $19.95
Bottom Line: Just light $20 on fire
*Entertainment Software Ratings Board
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Next Week: “All-Star Baseball 2000,” “MLB 2000,” “Microsoft Baseball 2000,” “Ken Griffey Jr.’s Slugfest,” “High Heat Baseball 2000,” “Bottom of the 9th,” “Baseball Edition 2000”
