PlayStation VR: The Sega CD of Our Time?

 

Anyone who has perused a gaming or technology site within the past year has no doubt been informed of the upcoming VR boom. With so many virtual reality headsets and kits so close to release from Sony, Google, Samsung, Oculus, and others, 2016 will be known as the Year of VR. Virtual reality is one of the holy grails of technology; it has been dreamt of for decades and has existed for years in a very tight niche, but with this year's releases VR will finally be available to the masses and used in the comfort of the home. Right now all eyes are on Sony's offering: PlayStation VR.

On paper, the whole project sounds mesmerizing, albeit quite vague. PSVR is an add-on kit for the existing PlayStation 4, essentially a headset allowing the player to be fully immersed in the gaming world. It works in conjunction with standard DualShock 4 controllers (also perhaps the motion-based PlayStation Move controller) and the PlayStation Camera for head tracking. It is set to be released some point this year along with a host of VR-compatible games… and that’s really all we know. For a device set to release within mere months, there are many glaring points that are still unclear:

-What is the power situation? Clearly there’s some kind of hard-wiring or battery life to be discussed.

-How exactly does it connect to the console?

-Most of the “games” shown so far are tech demos, nothing that would seem to captivate for more than a single session. Perhaps more insight on the games themselves?

-If this supports (the currently discontinued) PS Move controllers, will they be re-manufactured for general purchase? Could this usher a resurgence in the Move system, maybe even new PS4 Move (not necessarily VR) titles?

-What is the price??! It can’t possibly be cheap, and many analyst rumors place the price above the cost of the PS4 itself.

There’s also the two main points that must be covered in any advertising/PR campaign, both have which gone unanswered:

-Who is the target audience, and what is the key message?

In other words, who is buying this and why? Why should I want this? Most importantly, why should game developers want to utilize PSVR, which will certainly drive up costs and time? What is the ROI, the return on investment?

Hz rate, low latency, blah blah blah. Hype without justification, so far at least...

Now is an excellent time to reference this article’s title, and look back on video game history. This whole PSVR question mark greatly echoes an add-on from 25 years ago: the Sega CD. Back in 1992, Sega released a CD-ROM add-on for its Genesis console, allowing games to take advantage of CD-quality audio, data storage and other graphical tricks. After an exciting launch window, the Sega CD dwindled into obscurity and duped its early adopters, having been promised an exciting future of exclusive game experiences.

The Sega CD failed for many reasons, starting with price. A $300 add-on for a $200 console was a very hard sell, especially to the teenage market which relied on the graces of their parents’ money. The Sega CD also required its own power supply, which back in the 90s referred to a giant brick to plug in the wall (taking up the room of several sockets), next to the brick the Genesis required, and next to the plugs needed for the TV, VCR, cable box, stereo system… many gamers simply could not find room to plug it in! However, the Sega CD’s fatal flaw was in its game selection. It heavily banked on the new genre of FMV (full motion video) games, essentially movies requiring specific button presses at the right time that would guide the show along. Unfortunately this lead to games that didn’t quite feel like games, and on a console that graphically wasn’t up to snuff. Yes, the Sega CD could play video clips, but at a horrible frame rate and a dreadful color density. It was technology that arrived too soon. Other games were merely Genesis titles with a revamped soundtrack and perhaps an extra level or two. Nice, yes, but not at the expense of $500 plus the cost of games. Games did exist for the Sega CD that were truly exclusive, and took full advantage of the add-on and all its qualities, but these titles were much too few and far between. Sega barely mentioned the add-on after its launch, focusing more on the core Sega Genesis, and finally discontinued it in 1995.

Price, wiring, sub-par games, poor support. Hmm… noticing a pattern?

Sega's ads really laid it on thick. Sometimes this kind of marketing works, but sometimes...

If there is one thing Sony is good at, it is selling hardware, and this goes beyond gaming. They’ve managed to sell hundreds of millions in electronics through the years: Trinitrons, Vaios, Walkmen, Xperias, PlayStations… but Sony also has a habit of abandonment. Their consumer electronics are updated and re-released religiously, killing support for the previous model immediately after their introduction. “Here’s the next new thing. Now here’s the next new thing. Don’t hold onto the old one, get this one now!” It is a common philosophy in the industry, but video games are a bit different. Game consoles have traditionally been designed to last several years, and PlayStations are notorious for their long lifespans. However their add-ons… it’s a whole other story. PlayStation add-ons are commonly hyped beyond belief, released at questionable prices, supported very infrequently with non-captivating games or marketing and then swept under the rug when they (understandably) haven’t sold enough to Sony’s liking. Remember the PlayStation 2’s Hard Drive? The EyeToy? How about the aforementioned PlayStation Move? Remember the giant marketing blitz for the Move just a few years ago, leaving us with a ton of peripherals, charging devices, regret, and only a half-dozen games that were really worth playing? (Many of which were old ports from the Nintendo Wii...)

Even the PlayStation Vita has received this treatment. The Vita is Sony’s current PlayStation handheld, but you would never know it. It too received incredible hype and a big launch, only for its sales numbers to not be in the billions in its first week (which of course they would not!). But instead of Sony building the Vita ecosystem and supporting it with software and advertising, they banished the Vita to the basement, a failure that never was given a chance. 

Now, PlayStation VR is Sony’s golden child du jour. Hype hype hype, unclear details, but also now gamers who are aware of Sony’s patterns. PSVR has rightfully gained a lot of skepticism from gamers and analysts, who question its technological merit, game selection, logistics and of course, ROI for developers and consumers. In many ways, PlayStation VR is becoming another EyeToy, Move, and Sega CD combined. 

Let’s not forget that back in the 90s, Sony was a prolific third-party developer for the Sega CD! They found invaluable experience working for the CD add-on that they knew was doomed so they could practice for their future CD-based console, the original PlayStation. It isn’t like Sony has no idea of the Sega CD’s sad story because they were a part of it! Wouldn’t they think of not repeating the Sega CD’s mistakes?

Sterility is the main theme of the PSVR's advertising.

Sony’s VR has been in development for years, and only just now feels confident enough to give it a proper release. Well if they’re that confident about it then what is with the continued opaque secrecy? Hype is one thing, but details are another. What are they still scared of, and what details are they still trying to hide behind the sizzle reels and PR jargon? If deep down, the tech still isn’t completely there, then it shouldn’t be released quite yet. The Sega CD released with the technology dangling by a thread, and look how that backfired. If the games haven’t made it past the demo stage, if there’s no real way they’ve proved yet how VR enhances the experience and makes going back to TV gaming impossible, then maybe we’re still not ready yet. Many consoles and add-ons fail because the games themselves just didn’t come to fruition. Look no further than the Wii U for proof of that.

PlayStation VR’s fate can be divined by a statement as old as the gaming industry. Since when has an add-on ever been truly successful? The answer: never.

Good luck, PSVR.

Borgata's House Edge

It’s hard to figure out what’s worse: the dead Revel rotting on the boardwalk, or the flourishing Borgata refusing to share its wealth.

In the latest Atlantic City quagmire, the spotlight is on the Borgata. Upon opening in 2003, it took the city by storm and became the state’s most consistently successful casino. (Perhaps even, the most successful casino on the East Coast.) Where many other casinos have started strong but have since faded, Borgata continues to reinvent itself and caters to every demographic over the age of 21. Young or old, rich or not-so, clubber or diner, gambler or shopper… anyone who enjoys a break from the norm can find plenty to see and do at Borgata. For over 12 years that has been an undisputed fact.

So as AC’s king of the hill, it’s no surprise the Borgata rakes in a windfall every month… largely for itself. Granted that is the nature of business, but keep in mind the whole reason casinos were allowed in Atlantic City was so they could pay it forward. Keep most for themselves but give Atlantic City itself a share, so they could fix up the town and re-spark the magic (that it so desperately needs). Though they all pay their taxes, almost every casino company operating in AC is guilty of not doing their part in revitalizing the city. Instead they feed their profits toward their (Vegas-based) parent companies, neither helping out the city nor really themselves, allowing the casinos to remain stuck in the 80s. Only recently have the AC casinos gone through heavy renovations; and in places like Tropicana and Bally’s one can still find old ‘relics’ that do little to boost their image. Other casinos that have remained almost untouched since 1984, such as the Atlantic Club and Trump Plaza, didn’t renovate but chose to shutter.

Borgata is arguably the only casino in Atlantic City on par with the best of Las Vegas.

Borgata though, is a bit different. It is owned by Marina District Development, a company that, put very simply, only exists for the Borgata. It started out as various things with various owners (Wynn, MGM, and Boyd among others all having some affiliation now or at one time) all converging on this one resort to galvanize AC’s marina district. The Borgata is the result of their disjointed joint efforts, and has become a major success. The ends justified the means. Because the Borgata has no overhead to pay to, it has been allowed to put all of its profit back into itself, continuing its expansions and maintaining the gold standard. This is the simple reason why the Borgata has always been in the lead.

With big profits come big taxes, and the Borgata generally played along, doing the right thing paying its property taxes and being a good little boy… until now. As incredulous as it sounds, Atlantic City is almost out of money. The city itself is nearly bankrupt and Gov. Christie is this close to having the state take over the city’s affairs. How this managed to happen, especially in a city with casino profits in the billions, is mind-numbing. Despite all this, for years the Borgata knew it were owed hundreds of millions in tax appeals by the city, and its finally put its foot down. Taxes it overpaid (that they barely financially felt) to a city with no money currently in the bank.

A rich entity giving too much to a broke entity. Let that sink in. That hypocrisy. That asininity.

Now, understandably, Borgata wants its money back. All $170 million of it. Until it starts getting back their returns, it will withhold paying its current taxes. So far it already refused to make a $7.2 million payment. That is money the city needs very badly right now (though honestly it’s middling compared to the larger picture). On one hand, one can’t blame the Borgata. That $170 million is money it dutifully paid over they years and is entitled to have back. It was not the city’s to have in the first place. Imagine you not getting your tax return because the country couldn’t afford it, of course you’d be upset but also in awe as to how that situation is possible.

But at the same time, see it the other way. This city that gave the Borgata life is in a bad position, and stressing it even further with tax returns runs the risk of financially destroying the casino’s home. If the Borgata was a team player, they would pardon the refunds and maybe even give the city a little more of the resort’s major profits to try and help it out.

Only these are not two schoolyard friends having each other’s back. One is a cold, hard business and the other is cold, hard government. And business is not entitled to help government. There’s no reason to be “nice.” It’s capitalism, pure and simple. The American Way. Trump 2016.

Borgata's main expansion, The Water Club, is a perfect example of the resort's constant innovation.

Even if Atlantic City shut down completely and the Borgata closed (which would never happen), the Marina District Development execs would simply “cash out” and open somewhere else. Or even just rest on their lucrative laurels. They’ve already won. The city and the government at large would be forced to deal with it, on top of all their other issues. And like most other Americans, wary of big government, by refusing future tax payments and insisting on their returns, the Borgata is simply saying, “Screw ‘em.”

Here’s hoping it all works out, though unless someone really goes off-script it’s unlikely anything will.

Forgotten Gaming- Columns

Name- Columns

Platforms- Sega Genesis, Sega Master System, Game Gear

Developer- Sega

Released- 1990/1991

It’s not uncommon for certain video games to become the hottest craze of their era. Look at Pong, Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros, Sonic the Hedgehog… even more modern games such as Bejeweled, Guitar Hero, Call of Duty and Angry Birds. All found a way to transcend their medium and become the latest trend, spawning countless imitators. One of the biggest gaming revolutions in the late 1980s was the Russian-born Tetris, the first ‘falling block’ style puzzle game that helped put the Game Boy on the map, create an entire new genre of video games, and single-handedly thaw the Cold War between the US and Soviet Union. (…ok, maybe not that last one.) Tetris was ported to virtually every computer, console, and graphing calculator ever since, with new releases to this day. It’s hard to find any device that doesn’t have a version of Tetris available in some way!

But with every phenomenon game come the many ‘me-too’s: games heavily inspired by the original but with just barely enough of a difference to not consider them completely plagiarized. Enter Sega with their ‘brand new’ game: Columns. Instead of tetronimos falling into a playfield, we have multicolored jewels in stacks of three. (The eponymous ‘columns,’ if you will.) As these columns fall the jewels can be rearranged, and our goal is not to create horizontal lines but rather to align same-color jewels in rows of three or more. (This may be the first instance of match-three gameplay ever to appear in gaming.) These lines can be horizontal, vertical, but also diagonal. As matching jewels disappear, jewels above them fall into place, allowing chain combo opportunities. Continue to do well, and point values increase, the game gets faster, and like Tetris, the game ends when jewels reach the top and no new columns can fall in.

Originally released in the arcades, Columns quickly became a hit. The game’s tight mechanics, pleasing Greek theming, and hauntingly beautiful music earned it a rightful spot next to Tetris, and was soon also ported to the many computers and consoles of its time. Columns’ most popular home port was as an early title for the Sega Genesis, the version we will cover here today.

Arcade mode, Genesis version. A perfect translation.

In a time where arcade-to-console conversions were notoriously butchered due to inferior hardware, the Genesis version of Columns was a rare instance of an arcade-perfect port. Through ‘Arcade’ mode, the game looks and sounds exactly like the original, and one or two players can enjoy playing completely separately from each other. (Later games such as Puyo Puyo would copy this screen layout but have the two players playing directly against each other.) If Sega really wanted to, they could have stopped right at this arcade mode and release the game as is, and it would have done wonderfully as a perfect arcade port. Luckily they did not, and decided to include extra modes exclusive to this home version.

Besides the ‘Arcade’ mode there is also the cryptic ‘Menu’ mode. (A menu option for a menu?) Here, the game can be played in its original form but with various customization options. Difficulty can be changed by adding more different jewels to the mix, or starting at faster speeds. Games can be played with one player, two independent players, or a special co-op ‘doubles’ mode where players alternate turns in a single well. All variations can either be played in an untimed score attack or a three-minute time attack, with best scores recorded and saved (that is, until you turn the power off). Lastly, players now have their choice of music. Besides the original track, ‘Clotho,’ one can choose either ‘Lathesis’ or ‘Atropos.’ 

The Genesis was always hounded for its sound capabilities compared to its contemporaries, with its music and sound effects sounding too artificial or ‘game-y.’ But anyone looking to showcase how beautiful the Genesis can sound must look no further than Columns. Its three tracks manage this beautiful harpsichord and organ instrumentation that, coupled with genius melodies, sound mysterious, beautiful and catchy. Each track is spectacular in its own right, and while Clotho overwhelmingly gets the most recognition, I personally feel Atropos is overlooked. It is any Sega fan’s dying wish to one day hear renditions of Clotho, Lathesis and Atropos on a church organ in a cathedral.

Flash Columns. The flashing animation (bottom violet jewel) is much more obvious in motion.

Back to the game itself, there is one more option hiding in the Menu mode, and that is for an entirely new game variation called Flash Columns. Those tired of matching three until their eyes bleed will welcome this new mode, which calls upon the player to match a certain flashing jewel in a preset field. This involves a new layer of strategy to not only work down through the preset jewels, but to also not block out the flashing one. Moves now need to be made in advance as chain combos are the best method to quickly get down to the bottom of the well and include the flashing jewel in those combos. Also playable in co-op doubles mode, Flash Columns could very well have been turned into its own game.

Looking briefly at the Sega Master System version, this port of Columns obviously had to be downgraded to accommodate the weaker hardware. Despite the limitations in sprite size, Original and Flash Columns are included in their one and two player modes, as well as doubles. Time Trial and alternate music tracks have been cut, however the option to change the jewel appearances has been added, allowing you to play with jewels that look like blocks, card suits, domino faces, etc. Dynamic backgrounds have also been added, with an animated starfield in the background of Original mode and oddly, a racing track in the background of Flash mode. (Possibly a reference to Hang-On?) Overall the Master System version of Columns gets the job done, but is unfortunately hindered by a proportionally small play area and even smaller jewels. Even with a large TV you’ll be squinting at which jewels are which, and through an RF connection, good luck trying to make anything out!

Master System version. Look at all that wasted real estate...

Lastly, there’s the Game Gear version of Columns, released as a launch title for Sega’s new handheld system. The Game Gear was everything that Nintendo’s Game Boy was not, especially with its full-color backlit screen. Packing the colorful Columns in with Game Gear was a direct attack against Nintendo, which packed the monochrome Tetris in with the Game Boy. Yet the Game Boy succeeded with its lower price and better battery life, with Tetris seen as the better game over Columns. As the Game Gear was essentially a portable Master System (with a richer color palette), the handheld version of Columns was a shrunken-down port of the Master System version. Animated backgrounds were traded in exchange for a static picture of an ancient city, and the Game Gear’s smaller screen resulted in a more zoomed-in picture. Interestingly, where this zooming in usually made Master System-to-Game Gear ports harder to play due to the smaller screen, this actually fixes the main flaw of the Master System version and makes the Game Gear version easier to look at! Lathesis and Atropos have also been restored, making the handheld version the superior of the 8-bit variants. Multiplayer options are still available, however this requires a second Game Gear and copy of Columns, connected via the Gear-to-Gear cable, but this is understandable. 

The Game Gear port is admittedly more claustrophobic but easier to play.

All in all, those looking for an old-school puzzle fix will find a lot to like in Columns. Obviously the Genesis version reigns supreme with its arcade perfection and bonus modes. Doubles mode also proves very interesting, as at the time multiplayer games focused more on competition rather than cooperation. Today, one could argue the opposite rings true, so Columns stands almost ahead of its time. The game is easy to pick up and hard to master, a golden rule for timeless video games. Plus, chain combos in any game are always satisfying, especially when they’re unintentional. Find a few moments in your day, get comfortable, and allow Columns to relax, intrigue, and excite you.

Revel's Fine Situation

$5,000. Every day.

For those unaware, Glenn Straub finally purchased Revel for $85 million. A $2 billion resort, mind you, that never fully repaid itself. He plans to turn it into some kind of something dubbed ‘Polo North,’ with many plans ranging from polo grounds to water parks, downsized casinos to hotel/residential. He even mentioned raising Revel’s planned-but-never-constructed second tower. It’s all completely up in the air, and the estimated additional costs for Polo North are $500 million.

Some people are just filthy rich.

But there’s a major problem. Remember ACR? The power plant built for and only servicing the Revel complex? The second the sale to Straub was official, ACR no longer was obligated to keep the lights on. The interim between ownership is over, and Straub’s sale did not include immediate repayment to ACR. So ACR pulled the plug. No lights, no air flow, and most importantly, no water. No water means no fire suppression. Not only is Revel susceptible to the salt air and possible mold growth, but if the tower catches fire, it’s done. Be it an innocent spark or intended arson, Revel has no defense. Should fire break out 6-700 feet up, it will be impossible to fight.

Active fire suppression systems (sprinklers, alarms, etc.) are a New Jersey requirement for buildings of Revel’s category. For being without fire safety, Revel was fined $10,000 on the first day. Subsequent days add additional $5,000 penalties. The power has been off since April 9. For those keeping score, that’s $40,000 in fines as of this article’s date (and please tell me you caught the pun in the title.) At this rate, the fines will bring the price back up to what Revel should have cost in the first place!

Aha, Straub said, but I have a solution! Instead of coming to terms with ACR, I’ll just truck in some temporary generators! A few rows of diesel-powered generators will provide enough basic power for the complex, including fire systems, until I get a more permanent plan in place! It’s perfect! Not… quite. Now the state has problems with the generators. Being diesel fueled, that creates exhaust and pollution, and a couple rows of that is creating an alleged air-quality issue, and Straub is being asked to find a greener way to power his new building.

Just… ugh.

The infamous Revel/Polo North generators.

Now I’m blaming the state. You really can’t just cut the guy a break?! Revel is the ultimate taxpayer’s burden, and there’s constantly been an issue with trying to revitalize the complex at every twist and turn. The state is simply being annoying. Then there’s ACR, the eternally sour power plant. You cut off your one and only customer, because they couldn’t pay you. But now, nobody’s paying you! Was this really the best thing to do? Is the principle really being heard here? Or are you guys just coming off like the butthurt pariah? If you had any decent business sense, ACR, you would keep racking up the IOUs on Revel, and add interest. (Because those generators still wouldn’t be a permanent solution.) That way when they finally can pay you, you’ll be rolling in it. You had the monopoly on them, and instead you cut them loose. If the building subsequently suffers, you will suffer too, maybe to the point where there won’t even be a building you can power.

NJ: Just give this guy a pass for now.

ACR: Restore the power and dream for an absolution.

Straub: I’m sorry, dude. Keep strong and carry on.

and Revel: Don’t forget to pay your $5,000 fine tomorrow!

State of The Pier Shops: Spring 2015

For centuries now, several piers have dotted the Atlantic City boardwalk, and they were always far from mere fishing docks. There’s the famous Steel Pier, which hosted several entertainment attractions through the decades, from horse diving (look it up) to the current amusement park. There’s the Garden Pier, now the home of the Atlantic City Museum. And then there’s the Million Dollar Pier, which always looked less like a wooden dock and more like a long building jutting into the ocean. Following the casino boom in the 80s it became a shopping mall, known as The Shops on Ocean One. Then in 2006 the pier was purchased by Caesars, who connected it to the main property via skybridge and turned it into The Pier Shops at Caesars, as it’s now known today.

The Pier Shops were born during the financial height of Atlantic City. With the Tanger Outlets (‘The Walk’) performing admirably, it was decided that AC needed an upscale swath of boutiques to complement the factory stores. All 11 casinos at the time were on the up, and there was no recession in sight… yet. Thus the Pier Shops were born as New Jersey’s answer to Fifth Avenue or Rodeo Drive. Two floors of premium retail space, a third floor composed entirely of unique restaurants, and a ‘secret’ fourth floor to rent out for weddings or other private events, literally right out on the ocean. Taking a cue from the Forum Shops in Vegas’ Caesars Palace, the new Pier Shops at Caesars merged opulence with oceanfront, creating a mall unlike any other in the world. It was cultivated by Taubman Centers, which owns many other upscale malls including Crystals and The Mall at Short Hills, and appropriately enough they only allowed the cream of the crop to take up residence in the Pier. It had Gucci, Tiffany, Louis Vuitton, Apple, Armani… names and labels that never had a presence in Atlantic City (or South Jersey in general), until now.

The lobby. That beautiful display bottom left is now a Cinnabon/Auntie Anne's combo. -_-

And what would a Caesars property be without a little spectacle? At the far end of the Pier stood an attraction cryptically known as ‘The Show,’ a circular atrium surrounding a giant network of fountains. On the hour, the house lights would dim and the fountains would activate in preset patterns of dancing waters, flashing lights and music on cue. The Show was one of the first major, exclusive, and free non-gaming attractions in Atlantic City, pre-dating the current trend of introducing family-friendly attractions by several years.

The Show during one of its shows. May 2012.

All this was incredibly situated on a pier in the Atlantic Ocean, connected to one of AC’s more luxurious boardwalk casinos. One can flit to and from the Pier to Caesars proper without ever setting foot outside, a godsend during those winter months. Guests staying at Bally’s or Claridge can also pass through to the Pier via a series of indoor connections, and anyone who stayed at the adjacent Trump Plaza just had to brace the cold for mere seconds. The Pier had it all.

But today, the Pier is a dead mall.

Just a few storefronts down, and things get real quiet real fast. March 2015.

You’ll enter either from the boardwalk or 2nd floor skybridge. At first, everything seems fine. There’s still Gucci and Louis in attendance, with Armani Exchange a bit further down. Yes, it’s odd to smell the Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s so close to the designer suits and handbags, but you let it go. It’s Atlantic City, people… something’s gotta give. Continuing down the first floor, the storefronts get a bit sparse, and you notice the wraps covering up the empty retail spaces, trying to make it look intentional. Those tenants still remaining start looking a bit out of place, surely that Cellairis (cell phone covers and chargers) doesn’t need the fancy storefront it has (and is only using the front third). It’s especially jarring to see a full-fledged Guess store in the same area as ‘The Wall of Magnets,’ another re-positioned storefront that literally consists of a long wall of refrigerator magnets for sale. No kidding. You continue and reach the halfway point, a beautiful wood atrium with spiral stairs and exposed elevator work, allowing your first floor change since entering. It’s beautiful until you realize the plants are fake and dusty, you see labelscars of ‘THE SHOW’ on the signage, and there's an eerie silence from the zero customers passing through.

At this point, the first floor is roped off, you can no longer continue down the Pier from here. Puzzled and slightly nervous, you ascend to the second floor.

Stock photo of the second floor, probably around 2010.

Second floor as of March 2015.

Now the second floor was always designed to look like eternal night, with black ceilings and no proper lighting, but washed in ‘starlights’ of different colors, though mostly green. During the Pier’s prime, the starlights would combine with the storefronts to make the floor look much more inviting, like a main street thoroughfare after dark. A cool concept, as long as there are still stores standing. Curiously, the second floor allows further passage toward the ocean, but with nary a store to be seen. It’s genuinely dark and a bit creepy, voices carry from the few people that are strolling around and it all comes off a bit sketchy. In the distance is the light from a storefront: a lone Sunglass Hut. Its neighbors have all left, and it’s highly unlikely this location is earning its keep.

Then you get to The Show at the far end. Or at least, where The Show used to be…

The Show has been completely removed. March 2015.

Empty, boarded over, and almost ghostly. The Show atrium used to house several stores, ample spectating space, and the scaffolding of lights and speakers that made The Show well, the show. Now the far end of the Pier holds nothing. Adding insult to irony, barely visible through one of the larger storefronts are signs advertising blacklight mini-golf inside, though it’s hard to tell if it’s even open. What used to punctuate the start of the ocean with a bang, has now dropped off with a thud.

Ascending the transparent escalators on the far end, you approach the third floor, wondering how it can get any worse.

Third floor as of March 2015. The Pier's saving grace.

But to your surprise, the third floor is bustling! The Pier’s third floor is exclusively restaurants, and fine dining at that. The layout is quite unorthodox, as the floor is essentially wide open, with the restaurants, each with their own identity, weaving around each other. Some utilize their space very impressively, like the Continental. It’s made of a chain of dining ‘islands’ accented with fire pits and connected by bridges over moat-like channels. Even if it’s in between mealtimes with few diners eating, the open floor plan adds them up and makes each restaurant look that much busier. The third floor is noticeably the brightest, with large windows flanking each side allowing sunlight and lovely views of the beach and boardwalk. At night, the casino lights take over and make Atlantic City look surprisingly chic and alive. Having completed your circuit, you descend back down to the ground floor, re-smell the Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s, ogle Gucci and Louis and venture back outside to the boardwalk, leaving you confused and bewildered as to what the heck you just walked through.

How… how… were the Pier Shops allowed to disintegrate like this?! I get it: recession, general AC downfall, cutting back, yeah I know. But this is the Pier! This was *the* premier shopping mall of the city, if not the county! With Caesars’ name proudly emblazoned on it, the new Pier Shops were set up as a reason why Caesars AC is a step up from the other boardwalk casinos. Why were the upscale tenants allowed to break their leases, why were places like the godforsaken Wall of Magnets given the OK next to Guess and Gucci, why wasn’t The Show better utilized (holiday themed shows, hello??), and most importantly, why was this place allowed to die? Really Caesars, you were one of the few guys turning a profit in AC. You couldn’t lend the Pier a few bucks to stay relevant? You couldn’t find a way to integrate your Total Rewards program into customer incentives for Pier shopping? (At this point Caesars should just hire me. I'm serious.) And in typical AC fashion, instead of trying to fix what’s broken, you just literally put a velvet rope in front of it and pretended it wasn’t there. Not cool.

Directories still reflect the Pier's heyday. Over half of these stores are no longer there. March 2015.

Thank god someone is coming in to revitalize the degradation Caesars allowed the Pier to sink to. A guy named Blatstein. He sees the Pier for what it is: a unique property that can be put to unique uses, in a city that desperately needs some unique ideas to disguise the fact that it’s uniquely screwed. According to recent announcements, he sees the Pier as a mix for the existing restaurants, new music venues, bowling alleys (ingenious given the Pier’s rectangular shape), and maybe even a pool club in The Show’s atrium. A year-round pool on top of the ocean, think about that. Ironically, the Pier’s possible new life echoes the former Showboat (closed prematurely by Caesars themselves last year), as the Showboat opened with a large bowling center and later became known for its House of Blues extension. Could the new Pier be a reincarnated Showboat? This time it’ll actually be on the water, as all good boats should be. =P

Like its boardwalk cousin Revel, the Pier Shops at Caesars were born in a period of economic rise but had the misfortune of living in the wrong place at the wrong time. Both tried to court an upscale clientele that simply wasn’t there. And with Revel already dead in the water, the Pier is on life support. One can only hope that Caesars just lets Blatstein buy the Pier with no strings attached and no drama, unfortunate staples of AC deals these days. Let him make it whatever he wants. Anything is better than what is now.

Because what it is now is just damn pathetic.

The (Million Dollar) Pier back in 1950. Amazing how things change, and it was probably better off staying like this.

The Showboat/Stockton Debacle

Come on, Atlantic City. How much worse can things keep getting?

The Showboat opened in 1987 as part of a wave of new development in the uptown boardwalk area. Previously, uptown AC was dominated by Resorts International, the first casino to open back in 1978. Showboat joined it about a decade later and the Trump Taj Mahal soon followed in 1990. These three casinos, all in a row, partnered with the existing boardwalk shops and piers to continue tourist interest in this region of the city. (Uptown would also welcome Revel in 2012 as its fourth casino, but that’s a bit of a different story…)

Various plots of Atlantic City, mostly on the boardwalk and marina, have been zoned exclusively for hotel/casino use, some reservations in place date back to the 70s when gambling was in the process of being legalized. This helped ensure that the city would have no problem finding premium oceanfront property to build its Las Vegas East. This explains why currently there are many plots that are going unused along the boardwalk, land that was once occupied by casinos like Atlantis and Sands. This land by law cannot be used for anything else but a hotel/casino. Since no one is coming forward to build new casinos (and really, who can blame them?) the land remains vacant and frustrated.

These deed restrictions started off effective, creating the Great Wall of Casinos we now have, but nowadays the market and demand has shrunken considerably. As many as 12 casinos have operated concurrently in AC, as recently as January 2014. Today the city can barely sustain eight, and the Showboat is not one of them. It's been made clear that we’ll never need (or be able to support) more than that any longer, which is sad. But it also means that deed-restricted land will continue to go unused. We need to find and allow other uses for these closed casinos and vacant lots.

Enter Stockton University, and their plan to transform the closed Showboat into the satellite Stockton-Island campus. Lately it has come under the moniker of 'Stoboat.' Cute, right?

Stockton + Showboat = Stoboat.

At first, all seemed to go well. Stockton successfully purchased the Showboat complex from its parent company Caesars last year, for the bargain-basement price of only $18 million. Immediately Stockton announced its plans to rename the building, convert the casino into offices and classrooms, use the entertainment venues for theatre students, and continue to operate the hotel towers for public use as well as dormitories. With this influx of young intellectuals, it would help recuperate the ailing uptown district and inject AC with  fresh air and innovation. As part of the deal, Stockton claimed that Caesars would work on changing the deed restriction to allow the Showboat site to become something other than a casino.

Turns out Caesars never did. And who told on them? None other than AC's dead casino 

walking, the Taj Mahal.

The Taj has been in the news (and in my blog) very frequently these past few months. Once the largest casino in the world, and top-grossing casino in NJ, the past few years have seen the Taj experience a spectacular fall from grace. Scheduled to close several times, saved by a regretful billionaire, and mired in very public fights with the unions, the fact the Taj still has its doors open is a blessing it does not deserve. With all the problems it continues to have, the Taj Mahal literally cannot afford any more non-positive publicity. Now they are whistleblowing against Stockton, quoting the obsolete charters that the Showboat site must only be used for a casino. Operating the Stockton-Island campus would, according to Taj, weaken the bond it has with Resorts as a cohesive unit of uptown casinos, not to mention introduce hundreds of people under 21 tantalizingly close to bars and slot machines that are restricted against them.

Now that last bit I can almost agree with. Of a college’s student body, a good half of them are aged 18-20. Housing so many young adults in a former casino, with actual casinos literally steps away… it’s odd. Although it would no doubt bring in more foot traffic for the Mahal, it would be made of patrons they can’t (and won’t) accommodate. But their other reasons are simply foolish. Taj would prefer another casino adjacent to it, eating away at its customer base? Hate to break it to you Taj, but Showboat and Revel closed for a reason, and you haven't turned a profit in years. Why would you want to block a non-competing organization from moving in, hoping to turn the city around, at the excuse of wanting more competition? Or the preference of having an eyesore of a vacant neighbor eventually decaying beyond repair?

I will admit, the Taj Mahal (left and center) and Showboat (right) are literally on top of each other.

The Taj needs to keep its mouth shut. They are the big losers of the boardwalk right now, financially and critically. If any casino needs to count its blessings right now, it’s them. You worried about 19-year-olds playing video poker? Really? Hire more security. Create more jobs. Do some good. Instead you should explore how to get their visiting parents in to drop a couple dollars and stay the night there. And once these kids do turn 21, you’ve got em by the throat! Interest in gaming fades with each passing generation, cater to these brand new customers! Give these kids every reason and then some to make AC and the Taj Mahal the place to commemorate one of life’s most important birthdays. Maybe even bring the Casbah back from the grave, and if that means doing it Deko-style (18 to party, 21 to drink) then just go for it!! This is a wonderful opportunity for a hotel and casino that is in desperate need of a shot in the arm. God forbid they have to think out of the box.

Open Stockton-Island. Usher in the new generation of Atlantic City. And Taj… be quiet.