STACK #179 Sept 2019

GAMES NEWS

I’ve played games for years – well, all my life really!

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I

A keen gamer

Jason – who has both a PS4 and Nintendo Switch – couldn’t name just one. “I like various things,

STACK ROVING REPORTER

best sellers at

himself, Jason loves dealing with games customers.

“I wanted to get into games because it’s something that I’m interested in. Gaming is a hobby of mine and it’s nice to be able to talk to customers about something that I’m passionate about.” As for his own controller- wielding history, Jason started out with a classic. “I’ve played games for years – well, all my life really! I started playing Super Mario on the original Nintendo with my brothers in the living room.” When we put him on the spot about his all-time favourite game,

like Horizon: Zero Dawn was one of the games I loved the most. Right now, I’m playing through Wolfenstein: Youngblood . Borderlands is another series that I’m really into as well. On the Switch, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate – that’s the one that I’ve played more than anything else.” Jason’s going to be plenty busy gaming in the foreseeable future, with several upcoming games on his radar. “ Borderlands 3 is the next one that I really can’t wait for, and then I’m waiting to hear from The Last of Us: Part II and also Cyberpunk 2077 . They’re the ones that I’m most looking forward to now.” As for what his customers want, not surprisingly it all comes back to sports. “Pre-ordering best at the moment is NBA 2K20 and FIFA 20 – and Borderlands 3 , too. I’m getting a lot of pre-orders for the NBA 2K20 Legend Edition . It’s crazy how much that sells!” breakthrough for the persevering company came almost a century later in 1983, with the Famicom console – or, as we know it, the Nintendo Entertainment System. It was September 1985, however, when the company’s license to print yen was unleashed upon the world, wearing overalls and a natty ‘tache. Yes, Super Mario Bros . launched, and its star in plucky plumber Mario became Nintendo’s mascot, appearing in games on every system that they subsequently released. These included 2001’s underrated September-launched GameCube, although it was actually Mario’s bro Luigi who christened the console, with the ghost-busting

Date ending: 03/09/19

SHOP TALK

1 Control (PS4/xbo/pc) 2 astral chain (switch) 3 wreckfest (PS4/xbo/pc) 4 mxgp 2019 (PS4/xbo/pc) 5 mario kart 8 deluxe (switch) 6 TDP: man of medan (PS4/xbo/pc) 7 super smash bros. ultimate (switch) 8 crash team racing: NT (PS4/ xbo/switch) 9 super mario maker 2 (switch) 10 legend of zelda: BOTW (switch)

A s we continue roving to note how different things tend to appeal to different customers geographically. Games co-ordinator Jason Bailey at Holmesglen in Victoria tells us that at his store, it’s all about the sports. “At this store, most people are after the sports games like FIFA, NBA 2K, F1 and Madden . Madden’s doing really well at the moment.” Having been with JB for eight years now, Jason has also done his share of roving, with Holmesglen being the fourth store that he’s worked at. “I started out in the storeroom and then moved out around the JB stores of Australia, it’s interesting

from there in different sales roles at multiple stores,” he tells us.

Good sport Jason Bailey at JB Hi-Fi Holmesglen,VIC

SEPTEMBER

A little slice of gaming history…

1977 . As Star Wars scoffs at box office records and the first US Space Shuttle takes to the air, Britain’s queen celebrated her silver jubilee, and Elvis ‘The King’ Presley died. In California, however, the boffins at Atari were probably a little too busy to notice such things, as they were launching a revolution – complete with wood panelling! Home video game console the Atari VCS – later known as the Atari 2600 – was launched in September of 1977, with its brown highlights designed to have it blend into the décor of the average 1970s entertainment centre. Hands

Luigi’s Mansion . Now, 18 years later, Nintendo continue their love of September launches with this month’s Switch Lite. Games Released In SEPTEMBER Super Mario Bros. (1985)

Anyway, beyond aesthetics, more importantly the machine revolutionised video gaming in myriad ways, ranging from its computer-styled processor to the marketing of individual games via cartridges. This format would be instrumental in finally putting a company founded in Japan in September 1889 on the world map. Even back then Nintendo were involved in games, but these were of the hanafuda playing card variety. The

Pokémon Red & Blue (1998) Super Mario Bros. 2 (1992) Star Wars: Battlefront (2004) Just Cause (2007)

up if you miss ‘70s décor. No takers? Yeah, us neither.

30 million Atari 2600s sold over the console’s lifetime

39 years since Pac-Man was first released in arcades

9.8 million copies of Final Fantasy VII sold at retail

4 years that Borderlands was in development for

17.75 million different guns available in Borderlands 2

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SEPTEMBER 2019

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