Here it is: the last “What We’re NOT Playing” of 2007.

But don’t be sad, dear reader. There’s a whole new year of games ahead in 2008 that we here at MTV Multiplayer will be avoiding for reasons both completely logical and insane.

In this final end-of-the-year edition, we talk about games that we haven’t played throughout the whole year. Guess which publisher took a hit from our resident Xbox 360 Achievement whore Jason Cipriano this year:

JasonCipriano: Sadly all my games come from the same publisher - this year I was not playing “God of War 2,” “Heavenly Sword” and “Ratchet and Clank”
JasonCipriano: and I totally wanted to get to them all
StephenTotilo: Oh, let me now introduce our special guest for this week’s installment, Phil Harrison. Take it away Phil…
TraceyJohn: Phil’s not coming. Cip hurt his feelings.
StephenTotilo: Cip, I think you scared Phil off.
JasonCipriano: hey, if Phil wants to clear up my schedule, and sit me down with a couple copies of those games I’d love to go through them

Read on to find out why he avoided those hot Sony titles, why we think the PSP had a lackluster year, and why we’re so afraid of clocks in our games…

[Photo Credit: Joe Raedle/ Getty Images]

StephenTotilo: Jason and Tracey, I’m beginning to tear up
StephenTotilo: This is our last - sniff - What We’re NOT Playing of the year
JasonCipriano: aww
TraceyJohn: Cry me a river
StephenTotilo: It’s amazing how quickly 2007 has gone by
TraceyJohn: Indeed
StephenTotilo: It feels like we only started doing these three months ago
JasonCipriano: thats because we did
StephenTotilo: What?
StephenTotilo: You don’t remember our famous St. Patrick’s Day edition?
StephenTotilo: And the one we did on the Fourth of July?
JasonCipriano: I’m in a holidaze
TraceyJohn: We’ve been doing these all year… just not on IM for all to read
StephenTotilo: Well, I think Jason, that you made a fine suggestion for this end-of-year installment
StephenTotilo: We’re going to talk about what we were NOT playing for the entire YEAR
JasonCipriano: I’ve got a whole bunch of those though
JasonCipriano: why?
JasonCipriano: because there were just too many damn games this year
JasonCipriano: good and bad
JasonCipriano: a couple come immediately to mind — are we just picking one or can we run through the lot of them?
StephenTotilo: cough it up
JasonCipriano: Sadly all my games come from the same publisher - this year I was not playing “God of War 2,” “Heavenly Sword” and “Ratchet and Clank”
JasonCipriano: and I totally wanted to get to them all
StephenTotilo: Oh, let me now introduce our special guest for this week’s installment, Phil Harrison. Take it away Phil…
TraceyJohn: Phil’s not coming. Cip hurt his feelings.
StephenTotilo: Cip, I think you scared Phil off.
JasonCipriano: hey, if Phil wants to clear up my schedule, and sit me down with a couple copies of those games I’d love to go through them
JasonCipriano: but alas, that’s not going to happen
StephenTotilo: But seriously, Cip, people were raving about “GOW2,” and it came out in one of those slow early-in-the year times. Why didn’t you play it?
JasonCipriano: I think I was hooked on “Crackdown” that week
JasonCipriano: and I just didn’t get around to it
TraceyJohn: Didn’t “Crackdown” come out in February?
JasonCipriano: and … I’m not going to try to hide it … there are no Achievements in those games

JasonCipriano: and I’m a whore
JasonCipriano: “Crackdown” did come out in early Feb. - but we got copies in a couple weeks early
StephenTotilo: But how come all the praise didn’t compel you to get to it in the next nine months?
JasonCipriano: the games just kept coming.
JasonCipriano: that and I still havent finished “God of War”
JasonCipriano: the first one
StephenTotilo: Does a big new game lose its luster if you don’t get to it in its first month of release?
JasonCipriano: kinda
JasonCipriano: just because there’s another new game the month after that
StephenTotilo: Yeah, I hear you. That’s rough. I wish people could get back to stuff, but it seems like once people miss the early bandwagon they are loathe to catch on later
TraceyJohn: But the main reason is because of Achievements?
JasonCipriano: I wouldn’t say the main reason is Achievements, but that’s problem number 2
JasonCipriano: the main reason being just not enough time
JasonCipriano: and I know “Heavenly Sword” is short
JasonCipriano: so that might make my Gamefly account at somepoint
StephenTotilo: And “Heavenly Sword” and “Ratchet” were just lost in the Q4 crush?
TraceyJohn: I’ll agree with that one. I haven’t played “Heavenly Sword” and “Ratchet” yet either
JasonCipriano: yeah - but “Heavenly Sword” was earlier
StephenTotilo: Let me tell you what my deal was…
TraceyJohn: Do tell.
StephenTotilo: I do believe that my PSP got neglected in 2007. I was making a list earlier this week, like I do every year, of all the games I played for pleasure (i.e. not at press events).

StephenTotilo: More than 100 games. But only six for little old PSP. But, hey, there are three PSP games I can’t wait to play just in the first three months of 2008 alone, so maybe there’s hope.
JasonCipriano: just out of curiosity — “Patapon,” “Echocrome” and what else?
JasonCipriano: yeah - my psp didnt get much love either this year
JasonCipriano: except for the time I tested out remote play for 2 min, and “Castlevania”
StephenTotilo: “Echochrome” is undetermined for a US PSP release. Don’t you read my articles?
StephenTotilo: I’m crushed
StephenTotilo: It’s “Pursuit Force 2” (can’t wait!), “Patapon” and “God of War” Portable
StephenTotilo: a.k.a. “Chains of Olympus”
JasonCipriano: crap … another “God of War”
StephenTotilo: ah, but this one is chronologically the first one, so you can start with it
TraceyJohn: But it’s a prequel.
TraceyJohn: Yeah, what Totes said.
JasonCipriano: yeah - so that’ll help
JasonCipriano: but still… I mean what other AAA titles came out for the psp this year
JasonCipriano: “Metal Gear Solid: Portable Ops Plus“? - you loved the online functionality
JasonCipriano: “Crush“?
JasonCipriano: that game was pretty amazing
StephenTotilo: I tried “Crush,” but….
JasonCipriano: don’t compare it to “Super Paper Mario”
JasonCipriano: don’t
JasonCipriano: I sense it
JasonCipriano: don’t go there
StephenTotilo: No. I can compare it to “Portal” or “Echochrome,” 3D puzzle games that control more to my liking
StephenTotilo: So PSP, as much as I wanted it to, didn’t get played that much.
JasonCipriano: but “Portal”’s not portable, and “Echochrome” is never coming out in the US [on the PSP] according to you
StephenTotilo: The weird thing about the PSP, though, is that I don’t think I missed many big games

StephenTotilo: There just weren’t many. The only one I think I skipped that was of any major significance was “Final Fantasy Tactics,” which I’d already experienced a version of on GBA and thought was too hardcore for my liking
JasonCipriano: I’m still dreaming of the day that I’ll be able to play “Everyday Shooter” on my PSP
StephenTotilo: Basically, I draw the line at strategy rpg’s that require me to pick which way all my little chessmen are facing
JasonCipriano: tactics games are like that (see my comments in a previous WWNP)
StephenTotilo: Yeah, so that’s it for me. Tracey? Bring us to a grand finale
TraceyJohn: A grand finale? Games I didn’t play all year? Um…
TraceyJohn: Sorry “Call of Duty 4”
TraceyJohn: and um… “PGR 4”
TraceyJohn: Something else with a 4 in it
TraceyJohn: That’s not really a grand finale, is it
JasonCipriano: not exactly
StephenTotilo: Did you play “Wii Play“?
StephenTotilo: Or “Pokemon Diamond/Pearl“?
StephenTotilo: Or “Halo 3“?
TraceyJohn: I did not play “Wii Play,” did not play the Pokemons, but I played through “Halo 3.”
JasonCipriano: someone’s rolling out the big guns
JasonCipriano: taking it straight to Nintendo there with two of their biggest games
StephenTotilo: That’s what I’m asking, basically seeing if you played a few of the top-selling games of the year. I think “Guitar Hero 2” and “3” are the other two biggest games of the year.
TraceyJohn: Yeah, I played those, for sure.
TraceyJohn: Though this is the last WWNP, the year isn’t over for me yet. I have a stack of games to get to before 2008
StephenTotilo: I played “Pokemon Pearl” for about a dozen hours, just to see what the deal was
TraceyJohn: How was it?
StephenTotilo: It’s very addictive and absurdly stuffed with features. It even has a quasi-mmo element to it
JasonCipriano: I haven’t started “Pokemon” yet - I’ve never played one of them (although I did watch the cartoon everyday when I got home from high school for no apparent reason)
JasonCipriano: pretty sure I’ve never admitted that publicly before
StephenTotilo: Good for you. Tracey, let it out.
TraceyJohn: I’ve always sort of avoided the Pokemon license for fear of being a walking cliche. And also, just getting sucked in. Same with “Naruto”
JasonCipriano: but the fact that Nintendo is planning on released that Pokemon Wii channel - I might pick it up
StephenTotilo: And since I started this exchange by making stuff up, people might assume you just made that up too
StephenTotilo: I do have to say that “Pokemon” DS has an extraordinary touch:
StephenTotilo: The action is displayed on the top screen, but you can get the lower screen to display things like
StephenTotilo: the number of steps your character is walking…
StephenTotilo: the health of your Pokemons..
StephenTotilo: or, best of all…
StephenTotilo: a digital clock
StephenTotilo: And I kid you not: that is an extraordinary feature.

JasonCipriano: so you know how much of your life you’ve wasted?
TraceyJohn: So you can see how much time you’ve … nm
StephenTotilo: Imagine playing a game and having the time you’re spending playing it — the time you could have been doing anything more productive in life — just staring you in the face
StephenTotilo: see, there’s a reason they don’t put clocks on the walls of casinos and shopping malls
TraceyJohn: It’s like why they don’t put clocks in casinos…
TraceyJohn: :X
JasonCipriano: a lot of games have that
JasonCipriano: they are just buried in options menus
JasonCipriano: or on the save screens
StephenTotilo: Right. This clock is front and center to show you what you’ve done wrong with your life
JasonCipriano: it’s gotta be a little disheartening to see it constantly though
TraceyJohn: Every time I boot up “World of Warcraft” it says how much time I’ve played that character
TraceyJohn: Every time I see it, my heart sinks a little.
StephenTotilo: Yes. Or, let’s say you’re running late to work and are playing “Pokemon” on the subway
StephenTotilo: You know just how late you are
TraceyJohn: Especially when you miss your train stop because of the game
JasonCipriano: ew
JasonCipriano: maybe I wont be giving that a try
StephenTotilo: I did that yesterday. Actually went two stops beyond playing “SOCOM Tactical Strike” — on my PSP!
JasonCipriano: wow - you just blew your entire argument earlier to shreds
StephenTotilo: No. That was one of my 6
StephenTotilo: And I just squeaked it in there
TraceyJohn: Did you accidentally miss your stop or could you not pause because you were in the middle of something?
StephenTotilo: I missed it because I was focusing on the tutorial.
StephenTotilo: The game is basically a portable “Full Spectrum Warrior”
StephenTotilo: And I was trying so hard to learn the moves that I missed my exit
StephenTotilo: And speaking of exits…
StephenTotilo: I must say that while this installment was not as good as our year-ending one last year, it’s a fine send-off nonetheless
JasonCipriano: wow … way to transition
StephenTotilo: I’ll talk to you all in the New Year
StephenTotilo: Or in the next few minutes when we stop this chat
JasonCipriano: sounds good to me
JasonCipriano: hopefully 2008 will be many games that we won’t be playing
TraceyJohn: ha
JasonCipriano: or … wait
JasonCipriano: games that we will play
JasonCipriano: or will at least want to play .. but can’t because there’s too many other good games to play
StephenTotilo: Hear hear!
TraceyJohn: what he said.