The Angry and the heartbreaking

Before we get to today's topic, let's check in on a news post early this month. It seems we all have an obsession of gaming and death. Especially if its Television vs the Radio, or Internet vs Television, or Social Websites vs Email. If you're Peter Vesterbacka of Rovio games, maker of Angry Birds, you'd say the same thing about Console Games.

Innovation in gaming has clearly moved into mobile and social, Vesterbacka said, largely because those companies are more “nimble” — it’s easy to develop and release new content quickly. In fact, he said as mobile gaming (including games on tablet devices like the iPad) continues to grow, console games are “dying”. Vesterbacka scoffed at the traditional model where companies charge $40 to $50 for a game that’s difficult to upgrade. (Nokia’s Tero Ojanpera, who was also on the panel, countered that there’s still a place for consoles, because gamers aren’t going to plug tablet devices into their televisions.)

He has a point, even if Console Games are creating ways to update with patching and DLC. Now I'm no expert at death in technology, but PCs were suppose to triumph consoles back during the industry crash. Till Nintendo stuck its nose in and brought it back. Of course, UberGizmo's George Wong decided another path.

"While it is true that mobile phone games are cheaper and much more accessible due to the fact that everybody has a smartphone nowadays, those games just don't live up to the experience you get from full-blown games that you experience on your TV," explained Wong.

"As casual games for you to play while waiting for the bus or standing in line at a long queue, mobile phone games are great time wasters. But hours spent playing Angry Birds aren't going to draw you in like the storyline-based games of Final Fantasy, or Heavy Rain."

Wong added that cellphone gaming was likely to "complement" the industry rather than "killing off" consoles, as both offer their own advantages and disadvantages.

Complement? COMPLEMENT? How dare you talk about how Cellphone games are gonna complement the industry. And who cares which has an advantage. The industry isn't big enough for 4-5 sources of gaming. And I reckon someone's gotta go.

Now folks, I normally would talk NPD. But with the heartbreak going on in Japan, I am going to put that on hold even longer than normal. You may not expect it till next week. Apparently, I also know what it's like to feel a quake as I recall an earthquake in Mexico back in Easter of 2010. I felt the outer core of the earthquake as my room shook up for awhile. The aftershocks were also felt.

When it comes to donations, the industry is no stranger. Nintendo has donated 300 Million Yen, or $3.6 Million in US dollars, to the relief effort. Sony took it up a notch by also donatin 30,000 radios in addition to the similar donation to the effort. Other Japanese companies like SEGA(200 million yen), NamcoBandai(100 million yen) Capcom(100 million yen) SquareEnix(100 million yen), Konami(100 million yen) and Tecmo Koei(10 million yen) also made donations.

Capcom is taking it up a notch by slashing the price of Street Fighter IV on the iPhone and will make 100% of its donation go to the relief effort.

But it's not just Japanese companies that are getting into donating. Microsoft is also jumping in on with their donation of $2 million. Social Media developers like Gaia Online and EVE Online are starting fundraisers for the people of Japan.

But if you're Zynga, makers of FarmVille, you're taking it up a notch.

Zynga — maker of "FarmVille" and "CityVille" — has partnered with Save the Children to raise money for its Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children Emergency Fund.

If you want to get involved, you can also check out the Zynga/Save the Children partnership to help those in need. Another recommended group is the American Red Cross. You can do so At the Red Cross. Remember, every little bit helps
Works Cited:

Venture Beat
TGDaily
Gear Diary
MSNBC