The Problem: Grand Theft Auto is a target for controversy no matter where it takes place, but the fact that this newest installment, San Andreas, finds itself in the inner city and features a predominately African-American flavor. Is that a good thing, or will the media use that as a way of showing "average" Americans what our kids are playing? And really, isn't it all inevitable??

The History: Honestly, I wish this wasn't even an issue. When it comes right down to it, you play video games to have fun, not be reminded of the social ills all around us. But alas, there are a number of reasons race is a factor, none of which is especially flattering. When you think about video game heroes, African-Americans are not the first race that springs to mind. Unless you're playing a sports games, it's pretty likely the person you're playing as is either a white guys or hot women.

The all too apparent fact is that there aren't enough brothers in video games, especially in the lead roles. And knowing this, you have to wonder if this will only fan the flames of resentment. It's one thing to never get represented, but it's a whole new ball game when the only time you are represented it's in a completely unflattering light. So is this a good thing for black America or a very, very bad thing??

The Election: As we all know, it's the media's job to blow everything completely out of proportion, it's how they scare us into being compliant (and buying expensive diapers). Knowing that, it's reasonable to expect some kind of overreaction to Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, regardless of whether they pick up on the race issue or not. But this is an election year, and San Andreas is hitting the market mere weeks before we choose between Bush and Kerry. If this is your typical election cycle then it's going to be rough sailing for Rockstar Games' biggest asset.

There's something about the game, perhaps the violence towards police and women, maybe the flying of the gang colors, whatever it is, the media doesn't like it and won't drop it until every mother and father knows where San Andreas is. But whatever the media says about it, this Grand Theft Auto will no doubt sell just as well as Vice City or part III before it. I have a feeling that when it comes to violent fun, gamers are colorblind.

The Lawsuit: Rockstar Games is no stranger to minority protests; they've been around the block and had to apologize to more races than Eminem. It wasn't more than a year ago Rockstar gave in to demands to take out derogatory slurs against the Haitian people. So will they have to worry about this when it comes to gangs and the inner city?? Will this be the first game to use the word "nigga" in massive amounts?? And if all this really does come true, then how will the media react?

These are all good questions, but they seem to be keeping us from the major issue, whether or not this will be a good thing for the African-American community. I suspect most people won't care, but some people (like Jesse Jackson) may see this as a negative. But even if it's the worst case scenario, I have a sneaking suspicion that won't won't hurt sales any.

The Solution: In some ways this won't be good, since just about the only black hero seems to be anything but the person you want representing your race. But then, I suspect that a lot of people just won't care, and it won't even be an issue ... until somebody like Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson brings it up. There are some hot button topics about to be addressed for the first time in video games, the video game industry may be getting it's first taste of a race war, and it's still in question if we're ready for it.


The Problem: After a dismal 2003, both 989 Entertainment and Microsoft's XSN have decided to hang up the cleats ... at least for this season. With Electronic Arts and Sega Sports dominating, was it a good idea for the weaker fish to get out of the ocean? Is it for the best that 989 and Microsoft decided to spend more time working on their game instead of going in half-assed?

The History: Although Electronic Arts and Sega Sports are well known for their accurate, and always fun sports simulators, other companies think they can do it too. 989 and Microsoft are just two companies that thought they could swoop in and compete with the likes of EA and Sega, but neither were able to impress anybody.

They were valiant efforts, generally taking advantage of the best aspects of their system, but neither company could compete with years of fine tuning EA had. Microsoft even went as far as to create a brand new online database, something they called the XSN, to support their failed sports titles. But at the end of the day, Madden and ESPN were just too much to handle.

The Decision: Some may consider Microsoft and 989's decisions to be harsh, but what if that is the best way to go about this thing. Clearly they are not going to be able to compete just be adding new players, changing the roster around and making little tweaks here and there. Oh no, both of these companies need to go back to the blackboard and change everything about the game. They have to turn it into something people want to buy MORE than Madden or ESPN Football. It has to do something no other game has done before, and that's no easy task.

These two companies will still have trouble meeting that challenge, even with an extra year, but truth be told, that extra year will certainly help. Maybe one of those companies will strike gold and actually discover something EA and Sega missed. It's unlikely, but it sure beats the heck out of wasting money.

The Solution: This is the best decision Microsoft and 989 have made in years, if they keep making strong, decisive decisions like this, they will one day rule the industry. Forget Sega and EA, 989 Sports could rule the industry one day!! No, really!


The Problem: The critics like to complain that Nintendo is stuck in the past, too focused on old franchises, and not willing to offend their younger audience. But this year we have a different Nintendo, one that seems to be dead set on defying every single one of those trappings. Can we finally stop arguing and admit that Nintendo gets it? Or are they just as clueless as ever?

The History: Nintendo has always been known as the safe company, the company that didn't want blood in Mortal Kombat, or hated the idea of having a cheat device. It's this history that Nintendo has done everything they can to get out from under; like a skier trying to get to the bottom before the avalanche hits him.

To be completely fair, a lot of the criticism is warranted, Nintendo has done absolutely nothing to curb this sentiment. Most of their games, like Mario Sunshine and Kirby, are geared for all audiences, and they seem to publicly mock titles like Grand Theft Auto III, a game that ended up being one of the best selling games of all time. While Sony and Microsoft court older gamers, Nintendo never seemed as interested, and therefore lost a lot of that market early on.

The Difference: Thanks to a brand new zest for life, Nintendo seems set on making 2004 a year to remember. They have a number of darker titles in the works, including another Metroid and Resident Evil, plus a much more sinister looking Zelda. They certainly have games for everybody (Mario Party 6, anybody?), but 2004 seems like the year they have unanimously decided to bring out the big guns!

And if that wasn't enough, Nintendo is just about ready to give birth to a brother for the GameBoy Advance. But unlike the first GameBoy Advance, this new DS, as they are currently calling it, will not be as kid-centric. It comes with a touch screen, a legion of multiplayer games, and wireless internet access. You will also be able to type on the screen and send messages wirelessly, something that just about every gamer, no matter the age, can use and appreciate.

The Missing: Although Nintendo is making strides, it's key "mature" titles that their console is missing ... and it shows. There's no Grand Theft Auto for GameCube owners, and users looking for even rip-offs, like Driv3r, will have to look to the Xbox or PlayStation 2. Most companies aren't interested in releasing questionable titles on Nintendo's hardware, especially when they know more 18 ? 30 year old gamers own a PS2 or Xbox.

Still not convinced? Take a look at the Xbox offerings from Sega, games like Altered Beast and House of the Dead. What does Sega give Nintendo?? How about Billy Hatcher and a Virtua Fighter RPG for little kids!! Unfortunately Sega's not alone, almost every other companies does this too, making the GameCube an extremely inhospitable area to pitch tent.

The Solution: Nintendo needs to pick up a copy of Jak II, pronto. There's an example of how to turn a kid friendly game into something older audiences will get a kick out of. Or how about Nintendo give us gamers more weird and innovative games kids would not generally care for. Sony tried to do that with Ico, a critically acclaimed game that went absolutely nowhere. You gave Eternal Darkness a chance, and that was a start, but you need to do something more, something bigger. Maybe it's time to give the Mario clan a little break and bring in a few dark characters. I'd love to see a dark Wario vs. Waluigi game.