Getting Hopeful About Zune

Here's something you rarely hear us (or anyone else) mention, Zune. Well, we're going to break that dry spell now and tell you that we've come upon an article via Ars Technica that actually calls the new batch of Zune HD games for the beleaguered MP3 player(/gaming handheld?) "fun". Fancy that.

According to the piece, the fun is actually an important aspect of the new 3D/HD products as the previous set of games boasted painfully slow loading times, simple 2D graphics, and a lacking in captivating plot-points/action. 

The more state-of-the-art concepts load a lot quicker (thanks to a firmware update), have sensually pleasing graphics (and we mean that in the way that they appeal to your senses), and actually have some "replay value".

In reviewing the newest releases, Ars actually called Checkers for Zune "beautiful", citing that its outdoor setting and simplicity made it surprisingly captivating, and even went so far as to pay the "Wii compliment" to Lucky Lanes Bowling, comparing the mobile app to the visual experience of playing on the console.

We really are hoping in our heart of hearts that this isn't the last we'll be mentioning of Zune gaming for a while. With iPhone/iPod Touch carving a new nieche for casual gamers in the market, if Microsoft really steps up the content of their gaming products they could genuinely reap the benefits of what Apple started.