(Editor's Note: QuickJump QuickPeek just turned 16. Ah, sweet sixteen. Sixteen is definitely a lovely number. For those inclined to all things mathematical, four is the square root of 16. And that's just what we're going to try to get to the bottom of right here. The root of all things gaming. For this week at least. Here again is QuickJump's weekly article dedicated to the un-updated. A week's worth of great news, in bite-sized form!)

So here we are in QuickPeek 16. Last week's edition was pretty jam-packed with hot news items, confirmations, and releases, and there's also been a couple of heated debates between icons in the industry. This week will have you guys feeling good about the little big tiny giants that you have sitting in your living rooms - or handhelds snuggling comfortably in their respective pouches or carrying cases.

This isn't about one platform besting another. It's about shaking hands and welcoming people with open arms. As beauty pageant contestants always put it: World Peace! Because if Mario, Solid Snake, and Sonic can do it, then so can we. Err, that is barring the fact that Mario, Snake, and Sonic are in a Brawling game, but the essential thing remains: they're together.

Click the Full Article link below to check out this week's full issue!

QuickJump QuickPeek 16 originally posted October 13, 2007 at 02:00 PM.

Here is the church. Here is the steeple. Open the doors and see all the people (playing Halo). An article from the New York Times reveals that churches actually do have a soft spot for games. In fact, some churches are using video games as an actual tool to recruit more youths.

Taking a more modern approach at enticing kids to their community, church leaders have been renting out video games and inviting teenagers for "video game night" down at the church - and this is despite the fact that some churches hold some grudges against violent games (e.g. a very recent appeal to withdraw R:FoM from the BAFTA). The New York Times article runs:

Across the country, hundreds of ministers and pastors desperate to reach young congregants have drawn concern and criticism through their use of an unusual recruiting tool: the immersive and violent video game Halo[...] // Witness the basement on a recent Sunday at the Colorado Community Church [...] where Tim Foster, 12, and Chris Graham, 14, [...] locked in violent virtual combat [...] Tim explained the game's allure: "It's just fun blowing people up." // Once they come for the games, Gregg Barbour, the youth minister of the church said, they will stay for his Christian message. "We want to make it hard for teenagers to go to hell," Mr. Barbour wrote in a letter to parents at the church.

Other supporters of this new method in recruitment believe that the important thing is for the church to connect to the youth. James Tonkowich of the Institute on Religion and Democracy points out that "If you want to connect with young teenage boys and drag them into church, free alcohol and pornographic movies would do it. My own take is you can do better than that."

The story of Halo 3 is sometimes used even as a spring board for discussion about faith. As a 16 year-old Baptist in Lawrenceville recounts: "We play Halo, take a break and have something to eat, and have a lesson. [The pastor even tried to use analogies] between God and the devil."

Sort of makes you think twice about the definition of "Covenant" doesn't it? The simple fact that the game is called "Halo" might connote something rather holy as well. So what's your take on this, though? Yes, there are a lot of controversial points raised by this issue, but please be mindful of your comments.

Paramount and DreamWorks recent decision to release their movies exclusively on the HD DVD format renewed the format war. The announcement even had Michael Bay steamed up.

The unexpected move, as the New York Times reveals, may have more to it than meets the eye though. According to Times, two unnamed Viacom executives revealed that the two studios together will be getting US$ 150 million in financial incentives.

The financial incentives will consist of revenues that will come from cash and promotional guarantees. Microsoft, one of the lead supporters for the HD DVD format, commented however, that they "provided no financial incentives to Paramount or DreamWorks whatsoever."

One interesting detail from the terms of exclusivity deal with the format may suggest that this blow to Blu-ray is only temporary: Paramount will only be HD DVD exclusive for 18 months. Only time will tell whether the format war will see its conclusion or whether the recent development just delayed the outcome.

In a recent interview with the New York Times, Entertainment Software Association (ESA) President Michael D. Gallagher revealed that one of the ESA's priorities is to infiltrate Washington.

The new ESA president noted that while the movie and music industries already have backers in Washington, the video game industry does not quite have the same privilege yet.

According to Gallagher, the main challenge lies in "connecting with decision makers and creating champions for the video game industry in the policy-making arena."

In addition to having a smaller budget, Gallagher also noted that the video game industry doesn't have the star power to seduce politicians.

"Washington is very enamored with glitz and the appeal of stars," said Gallagher. "Whenever Bono shows up he creates this bow wave as he comes through, and it's true that stars do help drive messages. And it is true that Master Chief and Mario are not yet household words on the Hill, but wait for the years ahead."

Gallagher also said that the ESA will be revealing its full agenda after E3.

This is excellent news. Our lawmakers make their decisions based on information. If that information only comes from anti-gaming lawyers and anti-gaming activists, then of course our lawmakers are going to develop an anti-gaming bias. So it's good that our industry strengthens its representation.

According to a report by The New York Times, Nintendo of America's Reggie Fils-Aime sees the Wii as not just another option to the more powerful Xbox 360 from Microsoft and PlayStation 3 from Sony. In fact, it appears the Japan-based gaming giant is actually not settling for thwarting hardcore gaming alone.

 

"We don't consider just Sony and Microsoft our main competitors," said Fils-Aime. Nintendo's Satoru Iwata and Reggie Fils-Aime are planning on taking on the mainstream entertainment market, using an affordable, family-friendly gaming console.

"If people decide to stay home on a Saturday night playing Wii bowling instead of going to the movies, we win. If people spend 22 minutes making their perfect Mii instead of watching a sitcom, we win," Fils-Aime continued.

One of the more common sentiments online (in forums, boards, etc.) holds that Sony's PlayStation 3 was designed from the start as an all-in-one multimedia entertainment package, while Microsoft's Xbox 360 serves "core" gamers who rely on bleeding edge graphics and visually stunning games. The Wii doesn't deliver on either of those fronts, focusing on what is more important than the latest in pixel-shader technology. Fils-Aime explained:

Both of our competitors have focused on an old paradigm. They focused on more technological horsepower as the path to success. They fell into a trap of just listening to their core user base rather than focusing on attracting new customers.

According to him, every household has a geek or techie that can set up their console or PC to an LCD TV or monitor. But when the geek isn't there, what the people eventually want is to simply attach the console to an average TV, switch it on and see it work instantly. Nintendo of America's president concluded:

That's what Apple got so right with the iPod. There were plenty of MP3 players out there, but Apple came along with a product you could just pick up and play. And that's what we think we got right with the Wii. I think the consumer electronics industry needs to recognize that.

StarWars.com has revealed that Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is currently slated for novelization. Star Wars: The Force Unleashed is the latest chapter in the Star Wars saga and puts players in the role of Darth Vader's secret apprentice.

Set during the largely unexplored era between Episode III and Episode IV, the game lets players assist Darth Vader in his quest to eradicate the Jedi from the face of the galaxy.

The novelization of the game will be handled by New York Times bestselling author Sean Williams. The novel will cover the events of the game, as well as provide fans with a more in-depth story than what the game alone has.

Star Wars: The Force Unleashed features multiple endings, but this novel will be "one of the only places where fans will be able to find the official canon ending which will mold the events of the Star Wars galaxy for the future."

It doesn't take a genius to figure out that Seth Schiesel of "The New York Times" wasn't impressed with Sony's PS3. Duh. The first line alone of his article on the newspaper was enough hint already.

Read: "Howard Stringer, you have a problem. Your company's new video game system just isn't that great."

And how did he come to say that? Well, after spending "more than 30 hours using the PlayStation 3 over the last week or so and may have played more different games on the system-13- than probably anyone outside of Sony itself", it is apparent he believes that he is in a pretty good standing to conclusively talk about the PS3. And while he's more than entitled to his opinions, we're still sure that he's just earned himself a whole new bunch of haters.

But listen first to what the guy had to say. Well, actually, there was a lot, and most of them weren't really flattering. But simply put, the PS3's power failed to impress him. Sure, so it is unarguably the world's most powerful game console in terms of the technical benchmarks. However, it just does not deliver on the "engaging overall entertainment experience that Sony promised."

His take on the matter is that there's a big difference between technical power and fun experience, and Sony appeared to have confused one over the other.

His critique of the PS3 was taken in conjunction with his comparison to the Xbox 360. He wrote, "Twelve minutes after opening the box (Xbox 360), I had created my nickname, was in a game of Quake 4 and thought, 'This can't be this easy'... I never felt that way using the PlayStation 3."

But inspite all these, he still managed to give credit to where it is due. He describes the multi-player battles in Resistance: Fall of Man as "excellent", and found the arcade-style action of Blast Factor to be "suitably frantic."

And what did Sony have to say about all these?

Next-Gen managed to get a response from them, albeit via email, particularly from SCEA communications boss Dave Karraker. He said, "This is one's person's view of the PlayStation 3 and is not reflective of the majority of great reviews the system has received to date."

That's right, Dave. Shake it off.

You can check out Seth Schiesel's full article by clicking on the "Read" link below.