Thursday, June 6, 2013

Microsoft Announces Some Positive News on DRM, Used Games and Privacy



Microsoft instead of waiting for E3 has clarified on there most confusing topics, like DRM, used games, and privacy

Microsoft in a bold move came out today and clarified on there used game fees. Basically they are letting the publishers make the decision whether or not to put a fee or not. Microsoft has said that none of there owned studios will implement this fee. Microsoft has also said that games can be given to friends that have been in your friends list for at least 30 days and the game can only be traded once. Also to note you can also have up to 10 people in your "family" that can access your games and be able to play them as long as they have already been downloaded to the console. This seems to be a lot better then what we thought would happen so I am very happy to hear this straight from Microsoft. I think its clear that Microsoft isn't pushing the fees the publishers are. If the publishers are willing to push the fees its up to them which makes me wonder if Sony may be implementing a similar system. There is no need for Sony to comment on the Used games immediately sense they have almost no negative media on them but I would like to hear a defiant answer form them at E3.

Microsoft also addressed there privacy policy with there new Kinect. They said that the Kinect will only be listening to key words and not listening in on personal information.You can also determine how the Kinect will work when setting up the device. There exact words were "You are in control of what Kinect can see and hear. By design, you will determine how responsive and personalized your Xbox One is to you and your family during setup. The system will navigate you through key privacy options, like automatic or manual sign in, privacy settings, and clear notifications about how data is used. When Xbox One is on and you’re simply having a conversation in your living room, your conversation is not being recorded or uploaded." It also says that while playing games you can determine whether or not the Kinect is on, paused or off. You can put the Kinect in a paused state while playing the game, while only be able to listen to "Xbox off" to turn off the system. I think this clarified what the Kinect is actually doing and it is not invading the users privacy. On the other hand I can see how some people may still be spectacle sense it will be "always on" as long as the system is on and it will be listening to you sense it has to react to the key words like "Xbox On". Some people will still be worried but clearly if they are that worried they shouldn't buy it. For me this is great news and shows that the Kinect wont be invading on anyone.

They also said that the Xbox will have to connect to the internet every 24 hours. “With Xbox One you can game offline for up to 24 hours on your primary console, or one hour if you are logged on to a separate console accessing your library. Offline gaming is not possible after these prescribed times until you re-establish a connection, but you can still watch live TV and enjoy Blu-ray and DVD movies." I kinda don't like that we are forced to connect to the internet every 24 hours. I feel this will be preventing some people from even playing there single player games sense not everyone has internet yet. I see why they are doing this but am surprised they would do it. They are blocking out a portion of there audience by demanding an internet connection. Unfortunately this is something you will just have to deal with if you want to buy the console. This just means I cant bring it to my grandmoms house because she has no internet connection yet. At least on the bright side of this you can watch TV if you cant connect! Right?

I am very happy that Microsoft decided to address there problems and come right out and give us a statement  Hopefully this clears things up with people and will start to change the perception of the Xbox One form a negative to positive. Lets hope Microsoft doesn't make similar mistakes at E3 like they did at there reveal. 

Saturday, June 1, 2013

Top 5 things I hope to see at E3 this year



E3 is already less then 2 weeks away and I couldn't be more excited. There are so many things I hope to see there but I made a list of the top 5 things I hope to see this year at E3.

5) New Wii U games 

I really hope that at E3 Nintendo comes out swinging showing some of there legendary first party games. Nintendo already promises to show some games like a new Mario, Mario Kart, Zelda Wind Waker HD and Super Smash Bros which are all awesome titles but I hope to see more. A new Metriod, Pokemon ( that isn't a Pokemon rumble) Star Fox would be awesome to see. Show some more of these first party games and the Wii U will be basically flying off the shelves. Nintendo may not have a press conference at E3 but they can still dominate the hype if they announce some of there awesome titles.

4) 3DS and PS Vita games

As an owner off both portable systems I think both are awesome and full of potential. The 3DS is already in its prime, selling massive amounts of units every week. The 3DS  is a huge success because of the huge library of excellent games playable on it. Super Mario 3D Land, StarFox 64, Zelda Ocarina Of Time, Fire Emblem, I could go on and on about all the great games out for the 3DS. I still want to see a steady flow of games come out for the 3DS so I would love for Nintendo to show some upcoming games for there portable system. The PS Vita is almost the complete opposite of the 3DS at this point. Not selling well week by week and has very few games that are actually good on it. The PS Vita is defiantly off to a slow start but just like the 3DS the PS Vita can come back. I think Sony should announce a worldwide price cut and announce some strong titles for the PS Vita. Also elaborate on some of the PS Vita's cross play features for the PS4. If Sony does this I would suspect the PS Vita to make the same exact shift in sales the 3DS had after it got its price dropped. Both companies have very promising portables and I hope they get some attention this E3.


3) The Exclusive games for each console

If there's anything I hope Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo focus on at E3 its there exclusive titles for there console. This is especially important for Sony and Microsoft because they have to convince people to buy there console. Microsoft already promises 15 exclusive games coming to the Xbox One and says there E3 press conference is all about games, so I defiantly expect for Microsoft to be all about the games especially after its disappointing reveal. Sony also needs to show some strong exclusive titles also. I doubt Sony will let Microsoft out play them at exclusives sense Sony has the most first party developers so I expect to see a lot from them too. Nintendo also shouldn't have a problem showing some of there awesome first party games.


2) Clarification on DRM and Used games by both Sony and Microsoft

After all the confusion with the whole Xbox one and used games policy I think the first thing Microsoft needs to talk about is used games. People are confused and worried so Microsoft needs to help clarify things. Also talk about DRM. Do I have to connect to the internet or not? Its that simple just tell the consumers because right now everyone is searching for answers and not getting any. The same goes for Sony. They have been silent on there used games policy sense there press conference in February. We need answers from both companies at E3 because this confusion is only scaring people away from purchasing there consoles.


1) Next Gen Games

I want to see next gen games! At E3 last year the publishers were to scared to show any next gen games ( except for Ubisoft ) but this time there should be nothing holding them back. I want to see some of the games they were probably not allowed to show at E3 last year. I want to see more then what we all ready know I want to see some surprises, something that hasn't been revealed yet. The next gen games are going to be the thing that makes us want to buy the next gen console so I expect them to be great. I cant wait to see what each company has in store for us in the upcoming year.

That is the top 5 things I want to see at E3 this year. There was more things I want to see like some talk about indie games and next gen console's features but these were my top 5. I know for sure that E3 will be awesome this year!



Wednesday, May 29, 2013

PS4 games mandatory remote play for PlayStation Vita



According to a report from ign.com Sony has made a push to implement the remote play feature that was discussed at there press conference by making it mandatory for the developers to implement it in there games.

This is great news for the PS Vita because now it looks like it will work a lot like the Wii U'S gamepad. Now every game for the PS4 has to be compatible with the  PS Vita. We don't know how this will work just yet like: Can we now play PS4 games on the go? Can I play the game while the PS4 is off? We don't know for sure yet, but I expect clarification form Sony about this at E3. 
Could the Vita be a lot like the Wii U's gamepad?

This does mean if this is true that the PS Vita will be much more appealing once the PS4 is out. This is great for Vita sense it has been struggling to find an audience after a few months on the market. If this is true I would suspect one of two things: A PS Vita and PS4 bundle at the PS4 launch ( this seems like this would be very expensive but maybe Sony can keep it at a low $500-$550 ) or a worlwide price cut for the PS Vita. Japan has already got a price cut for the PS Vita so it wouldn't be unlikely to see a worldwide price cut. Although it is worthy to note that Sony said they are losing money on Vita's in Japan because of the cut so there has to be some strong games released to make some money for Sony before they take a cut worlwide. 


This can be viewed as a bad thing from a developers standpoint sense they now have to do more work but if programming for the PS4 and Vita is as easy as they made it out to be at the Sony press conference then it shouldn't be a problem. On the bright side this can make developers take a risk by implementing the Vita to create a different way to play or experience games like the Wii U'S gamepad does. This news is great for Vita fans and will hopefully push more people to buy the Vita as the PS4 draws near its release.
Sony talking about remote play at there press conference

Tuesday, May 28, 2013

PS3 lifetime sales surpass Xbox 360 lifetime sales after 8 years



According to vgchartz.com the PS3 has finally outsold the Xbox 360 after 8 years on the market. Xbox 360 has sold 77,311,669 units so far while the PS3 has now sold 77,313,472. Even though the PS3 is only 2,000 more units ahead this is the first time the PS3 lifetime sales have surpass Xbox 360 sales.



Once the PS3 first hit the market back in 2005 the Xbox had already sold 5 million units. After the PS3 had a slow start at there release the Xbox had widened the gap to 8 million units ahead of the PS3. After the PS3 had some strong games come out for it, the audience for the PS3 grew. Soon the PS3 was out selling the Xbox in every region other then the UK and the USA. After 8 long years the PS3 has outsold the Xbox 360 in lifetime sales. This made the PS3 the the second best selling system of this generation behind the Wii buy 22 million units.

Even with the PS4 coming out this year it is projected that the PS3 sales to get much, much higher because of many exclusive AAA titles coming out this year ( Last of Us, Gran Turismo 6, Beyond Two Souls ). It is also very probable that Sony will keep PS3 support well after the PS4 release. This means PS3 will most likely only make the margin between the PS3 sales and Xbox 360 sales larger. This is great for Sony because this can make up a lot of momentum for the upcoming PS4 release. Will this help Sony out on PS4 sales? Probably, only time will tell. 

Saturday, May 25, 2013

Xbox One's used game fiasco


In the wake of the Xbox One reveal on Tuesday there has been massive confusion around many of the features Xbox One will have. Will there be a fee for used games? Can I let a friend borrow my game? Can i trade games into stores like Gamestop?All these questions were left unanswered by the Xbox one reveal. After the conference instead of a solid firm answer to these important questions we got answers by many Microsoft employees that either contradicted there answers or just dodged the question all together.

Defiantly the most important question was the ones regarding how Microsoft will be handling used games. Many different answers have come out from this saying that the game will be locked to your Xbox Live account. Therefore if you bring the disk over to a friends house you have to log into your Xbox live account to play it. If the friend tries to play it then he will have to pay a fee to play. The official comment form Major Nelson  ( an Xbox employee ) can be found here. After this there has been huge confusion. Just a day ago polygon said from a anonymous source that the people wont be feed but Microsoft will fee the retailers which in the end hurts the consumers sense the prices for used games will just rise. This is still just a rumor though. In an attempt to clarify Major Nelson came out and said this:

"The ability to trade in and resell games is important to gamers and to Xbox. Xbox One is designed to support the trade in and resale of games. Reports about our policies for trade in and resale are inaccurate and incomplete. We will disclose more information in the near future."

However this doesn't really clarify anything. With conflicting stories about this used game stuff its clear Microsoft doesn't even know what there going to do yet. It seems we will have to wait until they figure this out. Hopefully everything will be sorted by E3.

Thursday, May 23, 2013

Why E3 will be important this year.


With both consoles, the PS4 and Xbox One announced we still know very little about them. Both Sony and Microsoft have already announced to reveal much more about there systems on June 10th at E3 this year. Making E3 very important for both companies to use to show why there console should be purchased this year.

E3 is always a big deal for the gaming community because this is where all the new games are announced for the upcoming year. This year however will be probably the most important E3 in the last 7 years sense this year both Microsoft and Sony are completely revealing there consoles. Hopefully we will see more about the upcoming games, hear about the price, hear about the online service and learn more about the features each company offers. Even though Nintendo decided to not have a press conference at E3 this year it is still important for them to show that there console will be relevant compared to the next gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft. Clearly E3 will be a important for each company to show what they have to offer.

I hope at E3 Sony actually reveals there system. I personally don't care what the console looks like but you have to show the public the product before you can sell it. Sony has to show there console at E3 this year. ( They most likely are sense there ad showed glimpse of the console this past week ). Sony also needs to stay focused on games. I hope to see some real good games that will defiantly sell the system. Games like Uncharted or Little Big Planet would defiantly sell the console and would get people excited overall. Games like Infamous and Killzone are both great games but wont sell the system like an Uncharted would. I would also really like to hear more about there clouding gaming service. They touched a little bit on it at there press conference but not much was shown. Also I would really like to here pricing for the system. I'm hoping between $400-$500 as a fair price. I would also like them to clarify more about PSN and used games. Will PSN still be free? Will PS+ be on the PS4? Will there be a fee on used games? Also show some games coming to the Vita! We will have to wait and see at E3 before we can answer these questions. Lets hope all will be answered about the PS4 at E3.

Luckily Microsoft has the first press conference at E3 so they can clarify many of the unanswered questions that there reveal event had. Microsoft has to clarify there used games policy. Will there be a fee? How much? How many Xbox one's can I add my account to? What retail store can I trade my games to, Gamestop or some internet store? They need to address how often you have to connect to the internet. It has been stated by Microsoft has to connect to the internet at some point periodically. We need to know, how often? Can I still use the Xbox One if I have no internet? These are serious questions that need to be answered at there press conference  Microsoft has said many times that there E3 event will be all about games, so we need to see some games! Microsoft promises 15 new exclusives and 8 new IPs. We need to see these exclusives at this event. They need to forget about EA games and Call of Duty sense we can get them on every other console. Show us the gamers the exclusives. I also hope Microsoft can clarify more about Xbox Live and how it will work. Will the TV features be only accessed on Xbox Live? How much will it cost? Lastly a price would be nice to see. I also hope its around a $400-$500 price. I think as long as Microsoft answers some important questions and shows us the games they promise they will be just fine at E3.


Even though Nintendo isn't having a big press conference they will still be at E3. I think its pretty simple for Nintendo, show us the big first party games. If we can see some Super Smash Bros, new Zelda and new Mario then Nintendo will do just fine. All they have to do is show that there will be games coming out for the Wii U that you can only get on there console and the Wii U would do just fine at E3.

HD Zelda

Clearly E3 will be very important for the 3 gaming giants this year. I think this will be the biggest E3 yet and that none of the companies will disappoint. Well have to wait until E3 before we here anything about the consoles but I can tell it will be epic.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Xbox One Reveal Overview and My Opinion



Unless you have been hiding under a rock for the past couple of hours you would know that Microsoft has finally unveiled there new Next gen console called Xbox One. Microsoft showcased the Xbox One today at there Xbox Event also revealing some features and upcoming games for there brand new console.

It was clear from the start of the event that Microsoft had a focus on the entertainment side of there console saying many times that it was going to be the "living room device". They first started right off by revealing the new system, new Kinect, and there new controller. Microsoft then started off talking about the new TV and DVR features on the new Xbox. This was defiantly the strongest part of there presentation because this showed that the Xbox had cool features that no one else had. They showed that the user can easily flip through playing a game straight to watching TV just by your voice or making a gesture through kinect. This feature was pretty cool but there were somethings that felt oddly left out. For one they never discussed if the new TV features would be free or not. I highly doubt the use of TV through the Xbox would be free sense you have to pay for internet, so I wish they would have told us how exactly we would be able to use it. Will it be a monthly fee and how much would it be?


The next part of the conference was focused on upcoming games from EA and some new exclusives. They announced that there would be 15 new exclusive games coming out for Xbox One in the first year and that 8 will be new IPs. This was great news sense Microsoft needs some new exclusives to compete with Nintendo and Sony who both have a big line up of exclusive titles. They also showed that they were working with EA and that Madden 25, Fifa, NBA live and UFC will be coming to the Xbox One. I found this to be very unimportant sense these games are all coming out on other consoles ( other then Wii U ). Why  put an emphasis on games that have already been confirmed to be on other consoles like the PS4. Also Microsoft announced a new Forza game will be coming out for Xbox One. As far as showing new IPs they did show Quantum Break which showed off some pretty cool graphics but left a lot to be desired. If I was Microsoft I would have shown more IPs making it a more appealing system but it seems Microsoft wants to wait till E3 to do that. 

After some talk about games they went back to talking about some more TV features. They announced an exclusive TV series of Halo being made for there console. This seemed out of place, how they went from talk about TV to games back to TV features  Not really interested in the new Halo series but I can see it bringing in some people to buy into there TV service.

They then ended there conference with a long segment about Call of Duty Ghost. Again it seemed very odd for Microsoft to put so much time into a game that was already announced and will be on other next gen consoles. The segment consist of a gameplay trailer ( thankfully ), some talk from the developers about new features and Microsoft stating the obvious that again Xbox would be getting there DLC before any other consoles. I understand that Microsoft probably decided to spend time on Call of Duty Ghost because it would bring in a bigger audience but the event was planned at an odd time that was inconvenient for most which makes the emphasis on the game very odd.

My opinion on the event was that it was pretty mediocre. The conference felt slightly rushed and not well planned. ( going form TV to games back to more TV talk ) Also almost all the games shown were for multiplatform games with only 2 games showed at this event that will be exclusive for the Xbox One. The most appealing part was the TV features sense it showed something only the Xbox one can do. I would have talked more about some of the new exclusive games they have planned and then talked about some of the exclusive features Xbox One has like there TV feature and Skype features. Also I found it odd that during the press conference Microsoft did not talk about there biggest rumor always online. They latter said after the press conference that it will not be always online.

 Microsoft had the perfect opportunity to show up and completely blow people away but I think they focused to much on things that will be on all next gen consoles and not games that will make people run out and purchase a Xbox One. They can defiantly show up at E3 this year and show some kickass titles but now they will be there with Sony doing the same thing. This event was Microsoft's time to really shine but I fell they just missed it by losing there overall focus on whats going to push the system the most: exclusive games.

New kinect, new Xbox and new controller

Monday, May 20, 2013

PS4's New Trailer, Sony's stealing some of the Xbox's buzz

In under 24 hours of the Next Xbox reveal event Sony releases a teaser for the PS4 showing off glimpses of there next gen console.


Not much has been has been revealed by this trailer other then a few glimpses of the of the parts of the console and a blurred out box which is the PS4. The trailer also shows that the company is indeed showing the PS4 at E3 on June 10th which was clearly obvious.

These are the glimpses of the console shown throughout the trailer

Its no coincidence that Sony is revealing this trailer just a few hours before the big Xbox event. Clearly there intentions are to divert all the attention from the Xbox event to the PS4. This is actually working because all the buzz and talk is about the PS4 right now and not the Xbox ( PS4 is even the number one trend on twitter right now ). In fact all week Sony has been announcing things divert peoples attention from the Xbox event. First it was a teaser for Gran Turismo ( which sales wise is Sony's most successful franchise this generation ), then the official reveal of the game and now a PS4 trailer just a day before the big event. 

Sony is bringing everything to the table this gen not cutting Microsoft any slack.

Friday, May 17, 2013

What Sony needs to do to make the PS Vita succesful


The PS Vita has been through some tough time sense its release. It has never really found an audience yet and still gets mediocre sales at best. Its only seen a slight increase in sales when a price cut was announced in Japan about a month ago but sales have remained very lackluster even after the announcement. Its a shame because the PS Vita is a great system. It has great hardware and has a promising future with the PS4, but the main problem is its lack of good games to play. Theirs only a few good games really worth playing like Uncharted Golden Abyss and Gravity Rush but other than that the rest of there line up is pretty weak. Theirs still hope though, the 3DS which is selling extremely well also had a very poor line up and started off very bad just like the Vita. Can the PS Vita make a come back like the 3DS did?

The problem with the PS Vita isn't that it doesn't have any games on it, because it actually has a pretty reasonable size library of games on it. Its the lack of great games. There are probably just about a handful of great games to play on the PS Vita, the rest are pretty mediocre. Sony needs to put more of there great game franchise on there or make an effort to get some big publishers to make a game for the PS Vita. It needs something like a  Grand theft auto port, or a Bioshock port ( which has been rumored ) to come out to really sell the system. If Sony can put some great games on the PS Vita that will catch peoples attention then I have no doubt the system will be successful. Also a price cut in America would boost some sales but I doubt Sony will do this sense there already taking a loss on the system.

In time I think the PS Vita will really pick up on sales but for now the PS Vita is looking pretty grim. Once Sony reveals some awesome games and shows gamers why they should purchase there system, it can be a big hit.

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

What I hope to see in Microsoft's next gen console


We are just under a week away from the reveal of Microsoft's next gen console and the internet is buzzing anticipation. Everyone is excited to see what Microsoft will reveal at there press conference. We all know a new system will be revealed, but how will it work? Will it be always online? Will it be heavily social integrated? No one knows for sure, but there are a few things I hope at the press conference Microsoft shows us about there new system.

In my opinion the weakest part about the Xbox is its lack of exclusives compared to the other systems on the market. Xbox however, does have some of the best selling exclusives out there ( Halo and Gears of War ). There is nothing wrong with having a few exclusives especially when they are as wildly popular as Halo and Gears of War are, but if Microsoft plans on selling a more casual console or wants there console to be the center of the living room it needs more diverse exclusives to appeal to a larger audience. At the moment Microsoft only has 2 notable exclusives and they are both shooters ( the rest are lackluster kinect games ). Microsoft should bring back some old franchise to expand there audience, like a new Banjo Kazooie  for platformers or bring back Blue Dragon as a RPG. I think that at Microsoft's press conference they need to show that there will be some new exclusives that aren't just shooters that will be out for there upcoming system.

I hope that next gen Microsoft makes some slight changes on there Xbox Live features. I think Xbox Live is great and lets people have a sense of security and gives people access to exclusive features that cant be found on other systems most notably part chat ( party chat is on the PS Vita but im talking about home consoles for now), but I think that if Microsoft is going for the more open and social approach to there next gen console they should make certain features apps free to use. If they go for a more open and welcoming approach they need to make apps like Netflix and HBO Go free sense they are already paid to use through a separate subscription. I think that Microsoft should add the rumored Skype apps and cable functions to make Xbox live more appealing. Xbox live is already wildly popular putting exclusive features like that would just attract more people to it.

If theirs anything I hope the most about the Next Xbox is that it is not always online. The rumors about an always online are already scarring people away form the unannounced Next Xbox. It would have a big negative impact on the Next Xbox if the rumors are true. People are not ready for an always online console just yet, so releasing one would be a big misstep by Microsoft. If theirs anything Microsoft discusses first at there press conference it should be whether or not there next console is always online or not. Hopefully it wont need a constant internet connection because if it does it wont do anything but hurt the company.

We can do nothing but wait for the reveal less then a week away at this point. I think that if Microsoft announces some new exclusives  makes there system more open, makes Xbox Live a little more desirable and debunks all the always online rumors then Microsoft will have another successful generation with there upcoming system.

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

Gran Turismo 6, will it be released on the PS3 or PS4?


Later last week Sony announced that there will be a reveal involving the Gran Turismo series this week in spirit of the franchises 15 anniversary.  Its pretty obvious this reveal will announce the long awaited Gran Turisom 6, but what system will this game come out on?

Gran Turismo 5 is the most sold PS3 exclusive with over 8 million copies sold to date. These huge sales could translate to even bigger sales if it releases on the PS3 because they have sold way more PS3 sense Gran Turismo 5's release in 2010. Sense theirs more PS3 sold, the more people there are that can purchase the game. Sony will most likely sell Gran Turismo on the PS3, because it is almost a guarantee to get big sales and can help PS3 sales even after the PS4 release ( depending on when the game gets released ).

On the other hand Gran Turismo could be released on the PS4. If its a launch title ( which it most likely would be if released on the PS4 ) this would sell a huge amount of units. Unfortunately if released on the PS4 it would almost certainly have much less sales then it would on the PS3. It would be a double edged sword because it would increase PS4 sales but decrease game sales.

Drive Club
Gran Turismo 6 defiantly has a better advantage selling on the PS3. Sense of the guaranteed big sales it will see. Also its good to note that if the Gran Turismo would release on the PS4 it would have to compete with another Aony exclusive driving game: Drive Club. I highly doubt Sony would pit there 2 racers against each other ( escpecially sense Gran Turismo would take most of  Drive Clubs sales. ). Either system its released for Gran Turismo will see big sales, but its all up to Sony's descion. Would they rather like monster sales on the PS3 and push a few more systems in the wake of the next gen console era or release for the PS4 to push more consoles at launch?  

Monday, May 13, 2013

What I hope to see from Nintendo at E3

Even though Nintendo decided to not hold a press conference at E3 this year they will still be present throughout the event. While at E3 Nintendo will be having a small conference for the public and will be showcasing there upcoming projects for both the Wii U and 3DS. Nintendo isn't having a major press conference this year featuring a new next gen console, but Nintendo may have a few awesome games prepared to show during E3.

HD Zelda
I hope Nintendo uses E3 to show some much needed Wii U titles. One of the biggest reasons the Wii U is selling so poorly is because of the lack of games out for it right now. Nintendo should use E3 to show there big upcoming titles. Hopefully they will show a brand new Zelda or Mario. The same team that made Mario Galaxy for the Wii is also making a new Mario for the Wii U. Hopefully we can see more of this planned Mario at the event. A new Zelda will be big for Nintendo and will basically guarantee to sell a lot of systems. Perhaps they can finally announce some details on the HD Zelda they have been showing at there events for awhile now. Some new information on there Super Smash Bros series would also be very good for Nintendo. Most of these titles are already conformed for the Wii U but have very little to almost no information on them. I would hope that Nintendo would use this event to release some information on there titles. A new trailer, some new gameplay, hopefully a release window ( not even a release date )  to give Wii U owners and people on the fence about purchasing a Wii U a little bit to look forward to.

Even though Nintendo opted out of holding a big press conference this year, they still have many awesome titles planned that can certainty gain a lot of attention. If Nintendo can show some awesome games at E3 and telling consumers that they will be released pretty soon ( hopefully this year ) I wouldn't be surprised if Wii U starts to seeing a significant increase in sales.




Friday, May 10, 2013

PS4's Strategy: Why they are so focused on games and developers

All the developers developing games for the PS4

Ever sense the PS4 was first announced at Sony's press conference on February 20th, it has been clear that they are focusing on the games and developers. Even a few months after there press conference Sony still keeps a laser focus on showing us they are pleasing the developers and promising gamers that there system is all about games. 

Sony defiantly wanted to come out next gen swinging by being the first to announce there next gen console, making sure they don't make the same mistake as they did last year by giving Microsoft such a huge head start. Sony held there press conference on February 20th coming right out immediately announcing there next gen console the PS4. Sony did not stop there, but also showed some interesting features on how they are taking more steps to having a more social console with new apps, a new interface and showing off there new controller: the Dualshock 4. Which had interesting new additions like the share button which allowed players to share 15 minutes of gameplay just by pressing a button.After showing all the new features Sony went right into explaining how there system was made with the developers in mind. Showing that there system is much easier to developer for then the PS3. Then the rest of the press conference showcased upcoming games coming to the PS4 like Watch Dogs, Infamous Second Son, Knack, Drive Club, Destiny and many more. Sony made it clear from this point on, that they were focused on pleasing the developers and making games. 

They didn't stop at the press conference, they continued to show that they were all about the developers and games by updating there youtube with videos called "Developer Diaries". These videos would show how developers were using PS4's technology to there advantage. Developers from Assassins creed and Watch dogs praise the efforts that Sony is taking to make developing games for them easy. (Seems Ubisoft really likes the PS4.) Sony also saying in many interviews after the press conference that they were all about making there system easier for the small and large developers to put there games on the PS4.


You may ask: Why is Sony putting such a huge focus on the games and developers this gen? Well  Sony wanted to make sure to fix there major problem  that they had with the PS3. Which was, that it had a complicated architecture which made it very difficult to develop games on it. Now they made a system that was developer friendly and not confusing like before. Sony also wanted to make sure to show gamers that they are focused on games. They probably wanted to show that they have a big focus on games because they knew Microsoft would be showing a more social focused console. They wanted to establish a difference between there next gen system and Microsoft's so they went with showing gamers that there console would be all about games.

I think this is a great strategy for Sony, this will appeal to the gamers that this is the system that they are going to want to get. Also they wanted to repair there relationships with developers that may not have not liked the PS3's odd architecture by showing there new system is much easier to develop for. They also wanted to show that the PS4 will have a strong line up of games. Sony knows that to get people to purchase there system day one they are going to have to convince them, by showing them a strong PS4 line up. At the end of the day the games are what is going to sell a system and Sony knows this. I'm interested to see what Microsoft's strategy is to sell there console. Will they try and sell there console on cool social features? Will they have interesting exclusive content or apps? Will they have a large focus on games like Sony does?No one knows yet. Sony made there move first so now its up to Microsoft to show what there up to at there announcement on May 21st.

Thursday, May 9, 2013

Is the world ready for an always online console?


For months the internet has been buzzing about the possibility that the next gen Xbox will possibly requiring an internet connection to use ( There have been recent rumors saying that it may not be always online also). Therefore making the only way to use it, would be to keep it always online. Even though these are just rumors and no word from Microsoft has confirmed or denied these accusations people are actively expressing there opinion towards always online, but is it really that bad? Is the world ready for an always online console? 


Of course not! The world isn't ready for a console to be always online. Unfortunately the internet is not everywhere yet. Yes, as surprising as it may sound there are still places that don't have internet ( My grandmoms house!!). Even places that do have internet may have a very spotty connection. Hotels are a great example sense a lot still don't have internet and most that do, have a very weak and spotty connection. If you wanted to take an always online console on the go then you may not be able to use it because of the poor or lack of internet they provide. Even people with a good internet connection have problems with there internet form time to time. Think to yourself how often a month your internet connection goes down. My internet goes down randomly maybe 2 to 3 times a month. Now imagine playing a single player game and getting cut off because your internet goes out. This may not be a huge problem but is an unnecessary problem you would have to deal with if there was an always online console.


Perhaps the best example to show how we are not prepared for an always online console is the SimCity launch incident. For those who don't know SimCity was released as an always online game for the PC and when it launched the servers for the game crashed. This forced people that purchased the game to not even be able to play the game at all for about a week as they tried to fix the servers. The same thing would happen to a console that is always online, if the servers ever crashed then millions of people that purchased the console would be locked out from using it. 


The alert sign you saw when the servers were down

The world isn't fully connected to the internet just yet and a lot of peoples internet just isn't good enough to support an always online console. Maybe in a few years when internet is universally everywhere and always has a strong connection then maybe an always online console would be acceptable but in this day and age an always online console wouldn't be a good idea. We'll all find out May 21st at the Xbox reveal if the rumors are actually true. Lets just hope these rumors about an always online console stay as rumor. 

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

The Last of Us, Why Its Destined to be Successful


From the developers of Uncharted and the Jak and Daxter series comes there next big thing: The Last of Us.
The Last of Us is a new action adventure/survival horror IP Naughty Dog has created that will be released as a PS3 exclusive on June 14th. Ever sense its reveal this game has gotten a lot of hype. It's even predicted to be one of the biggest releases of the year. (Its my number one most wanted game out of my list of top 5 upcoming games)  The Last of Us has many things going for it; putting it in a great a position to be a very successful game.

Perhaps the biggest lure to the Last of Us is that its being created by Naughty Dog. Naughty Dog is one of Sony's most successful developers; creating games like Jak and Daxter and the Uncharted series both selling very well but the latter selling particularly well this generation. Even though this is a brand knew game and not  a sequel to an already popular series, gamers know that this game will most likely have the same amount of polish and story driven style that Naughty Dog likes to have in there games. Also as a smart tactic to try and sell more units they should add in the trailers for the game this: "From the creators of the Uncharted series we bring you the Last of Us". This will inform the casual gamers that may not pay attention to what developers make, that the Last of Us is created by the same people that created Uncharted; a series they may have liked and now seeing an ad saying this company also created the Last of Us may get them to buy it.

There release date, June 14th can be seen as a great time to release a game or be seen as an awful time. The original release date for the Last of Us was on May 7th (Omg it would have been released today!!) but that was latter changed to June 14th. Ironically the biggest western video game event of the year E3 will be happening between June 11th-13th. As you can see the Last of Us will release just one day after E3. This can be a good thing because there will be a huge focus on video games during this time. The media will be buzzing with all types of video game news which can draw people to look more into the video game industry and more into the Last of Us. This can also be a bad thing as there will be so much news out during this time that the Last of Us can be overshadowed by bigger news like; Next gen consoles and next gen games. June 14th is also the second week of June and most people get paid every 2 weeks of the month. If my math serves me right, I believe that 1 week is 7 days long and 7 times 2 ( 2 for 2 weeks) is 14! Which means that the 14th of June would be the first 2 weeks of the month! Because most people get paid every 2 weeks of the month  they would get paid on the 14th which means that people will have money to purchase things they want ( possibly the Last of Us!).


The trailer and the graphics shown on this game look amazing. I believe graphics should come secondary to any game development because they should work on the core gameplay first but it certainly doesn't hurt to look this good. Also the amount of gamplay they have showed so far  in my opinion looks amazing. They always make me want to see more and actually play it! The amount of detail the developers put into the game is clear from the graphics all the way to its main concepts. I mean do you know why the infected look like they have fungus growing on them? Its called Ophiocordyceps unilateralis.... instead of me explain it just watch-


Speaking of trailers Sony has done a very good job advertising the game. Sony is usually criticized by the community because of its poor marketing, but it seems Sony has been really smart when advertising this game. They show of the game often at major press conferences like E3 and they often upload there youtube channel with videos on the Last of Us. Also, Sony chose to advertise a 30 second trailer of the Last of Us during The Walking Dead season finale which had over 11 million views. This may seem as small thing to do but was smart advertising move sense both the Walking Dead and the Last of Us have a common enemy and theme Zombies/Walkers/Infected (What ever you would like to call them) which will draw in interested viewers. Speaking of zombies they have gotten extremely popular from the show; which makes the game more appealing. 

It also is a new IP which many people can appreciate. Even though you can see this as a negative because it isn't an established franchise. I like it when companies take a chance and create something different.  Also sense this is a new IP being made by Naughty Dog it may be the new series sense Naughty Dog seems to like there games in threes: Uncharted has 3 games and so does Jak and Daxter. Although there are some spin offs to the Jak and Daxter series and Uncharted may have a 4th installment (Hopefully) it seems we can suspect  a few more entry's in the Last of Us depending on how it all ends up.

Obviously the game doesn't have everything going for it and has some set backs like being an exclusive and being a new IP but the steps that Sony and Naughty Dog are making are setting up the Last of Us to be a big success.

Monday, May 6, 2013

Next Xbox Always Online Rumors Finally Put to Rest?


For awhile now the internet has been filled with rumors surrounding Microsoft's next gen console. Defiantly the most controversial rumor around is the always online rumor. Most people don't like the thought of an always online console and for good reason. I mean, just look at the recent Sim City release. That game had to be connected to the internet to play and when the servers went down no one that had the game could play it. It was a mess and for about a week people couldn't play a game that they purchased. The Xbox rumor suggest that the Xbox must be connected to the internet to play games: so if you don't have internet or if the servers are down for some reason no one can play any games, single player or not. You may say "Well its just a rumor why would anyone believe this". Yes, its true that this is just a rumor but people are given a reason to believe it for many reasons. Microsoft has not said a word about any of the rumors at all: there silence scares people. Also to make matters worse a Microsoft employee said that always online is not a big deal and people should just "Deal with it". Microsoft later fired him and said what he said was his opinion but again did not comment on the rumor.  But finally a new rumor that sounds legit was released today stating in a memo sent by Microsoft to there employees saying:

"Durango is designed to deliver the future of entertainment while engineered to be tolerant of today's Internet. There are a number of scenarios that our users expect to work without an Internet connection, and those should 'just work' regardless of their current connection status. Those include, but are not limited to: playing a Blu-ray disc, watching live TV, and yes playing a single player game.”


Even though this is again just another rumor it seems to come from a more reliable source. I hope what this memo says is true because I don't think anyone really prefers an always online console yet. But I guess we will get all the answers on the Next Xbox on May 21st at there press conference.  Hopefully the rumors will all be put to rest there.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Top 5 Upcoming Games I Really Want To Get

This year is a big year for gaming. New gaming consoles from both big gaming companies Sony and Microsoft and many huge triple A games coming out to end off the current gen consoles and to start the next gen console. There are many games coming out this year that I want to have but I narrowed down a list of 5 games I really want to play right now.



5-Grand Theft Auto V:

I never been one of those huge fans of Grand Theft Auto but I always found the games extremely fun to play. I never really found the story compelling enough to play and always felt that the story was never really the focus. I would usually just play around the city speeding away from the cops and doing insane jumps off of the ramps and ledges around the city. The new trailers show me that they are taking a bigger focus on the story and trying something different. Also the new city looks amazing! ( You can now Scuba dive! ) The new story and city makes it look extremely fun to play.

4-Splinter Cell Blacklist

I've never actually owned a splinter cell game but I  played it many times at my friends house on his Xbox. We would play the co-op missions for hours trying to complete each part. When I first saw the splinter cell trailers at E3 it looked really cool, but when more trailers started to come out about the game I knew I had to play it. I liked all the different ways you can go about playing the game like going stealthily or going into an all out shoot out. Also the new trailer showing the Mercenary Vs Spies multiplayer looks like a ton of fun to play.

3-Watch Dogs


Still not much has been released about this game other then a few gameplay trailers but those trailers were enough to make me want this game. I always like when companies take a chance and create a new IP because now a days large companies usually fall back on there successful franchise and keep pushing out sequels because they know they'll make money off of them. It shows that Ubisoft is clearly willing to take chances and hopefully this one pays off. It most likely will because this game just looks amazing, I cant wait to play it.




2-Beyond Two Souls

Ill be honest when I first heard about this game I thought it looked interesting but didn't really pay much attention to it. Then one day I went to the store and purchased Heavy Rain. I was shocked on how great Heavy Rain was and when I found out Beyond Two Souls was being made from the same developer I looked more into it. I found an interview with the developers talking about how the game would branch out in different directions depending on how you play the game and how the story can be different for each player. The more I found out about the game the more I wanted it. Then i watched the recent trailer from the film festival  and knew this game would be incredible.The graphics look insane! Also Ellan Page is in it and she is just awesome!! lol

1-Last of Us

This game looks amazing! I remember minding my own business watching E3 last year and seeing the first  trailer for the last of Us. I was blown away. It looks amazing, from the graphics, to the story, to the gameplay  everything looks incredible. Also its being developed by one of my favorite developers Naughty Dog which created the Uncharted series so you know it will be great. The demos looked great. In particular the one where the infected are making the clicking sounds and you have to try and sneak around looks so incredible. It gave me the chills when I watched it. lol. I cant wait until June when this game can finally come out, I know it wont Disappoint!



Saturday, May 4, 2013

Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Review!!!!


Naruto storm 3 is actually the 4th game in the storm series ( lol you would think there were three ) and about the 20th game in the ultimate ninja series lol. Its actually the 9th game in the ultimate ninja series. I have been in love with the series sense it first started on the PS2. In fact one of the main reasons I wanted a PS3 was because Naruto Storm was releasing on PS3 as an exclusive! I remember having so much fun playing Naruto Ultimate ninja with my friends. So its pretty clear I was excited to get this game. Although I didn't really like the previous game in the series,  Naruto Generations because of the lack of any change and a lackluster story I was still hype to get this game. Perhaps I should have saw this coming, but I was very disappointed when I got to play this game. The story was mostly boring and a mess, Multiplayer was laggy and frustrating  and the characters have been basically the same sense Storm 2 which released 3 years ago. And this is all coming from someone who loves the Naruto series.

In depth review

Single Player/ Story Mode:

In the beginning of the series when Storm 1 and 2 came out the story was clearly the highlight of the game, especially in Storm 1 because  you were able to play as Naruto and free roam anywhere you want. However in Storm 2 they got rid of the free roaming and added a different way to navigate through out the world. Its like a restricted path way you would walk through to navigate through out the story.You can even interact with some of the surrounding environment. Even though this wasn't as fun as the free roaming in Storm 1 it still worked out and was enjoyable. 
Storm 2's Story liked like this

Storm 3 uses Storm 2's way of getting around in the story but with much smaller places to go and  are sometimes uselessly added making them feel tedious and boring. Often times you will end up in a battle then walk down a 2 second long path and have to go into another battle. Instead of feeling like I have went into a different area it seems like a useless minute of just walking forward to get to the next battle. There is much less to interact with in Storm 3 then in Storm 2 and when you do interact with the environment you only find in game money called ryo. In previous games you can find rare collectibles to make special weapons. For some reason they decided to take that feature out which makes interacting with environments feel useless.

During the story you will play in battles often. Luckily this part of the story is actually entertaining and fun. This is because the combat system is the best the series has seen. There have been many changes sense generations fixing unbalanced characters ( Tenten and Onoki) and fixing the substitute recovery bar. The only thing is there are many battles that feel useless through out the story. Many of the battles aren't important to the story at all and seem to be added on just to make the story feel longer. It makes the story drag on and feel very boring and often pointless.( Like why do I have to battle Yamato 3 times for no reason!!!! ) This makes the important battles feel less fun sense you had to go through about 5 pointless battles just to get there. None the less the battles are pretty fun when they don't feel pointless. Also note that the game has added battles against multiple of opponents ( like 10 at a time ). This isn't a ground breaking addition to the series but the battles are pretty fun and actually do make sense in the story.
A battle scene in Storm 3
By far the best part of the story are the boss battles. These were introduced in the original Naruto Storm and  have always been fun to play and watch. They are huge battles that make you think fast as you have  to complete a series of quick time events to complete it.They look like they are straight out the anime at times. Storm 3 does not disappoint when it comes to the boss battles, as it has some of the best ones the series has seen. They are truly fun to play as the quick time events actually feel like you are influencing the battle as it goes on.This is defiantly the best part of a rather lackluster story. If you want to see one of the boss battles here is a video of one of my favorite battles from Storm 3 ( It starts at 3:20):



Also as a side note Storm 3 also adds a hero and legend choice. This choice only appears during special battles and will determine how hard the battle will be. After completing the battle it gives you points toward your legend xp or hero xp depending on which one you chose. This will only unlock items and seeing as I went though a whole playthrough without using a single item this is a pretty useless addition  Also  the story has a few side missions after the main story ends but most of these are fetch quest and aren't fun at all. 

Even though the boss battles are extremely fun the rest of the story fails to be almost any fun at all. The roaming sequences feel pointless and are just boring. While the battles are fun to play, you'll quickly become bored after the many pointless battles the story makes you play to progress. All these features hold the story back and make it a long and boring mess. Unfortuantly the boss battles aren't even fun enough to make the story worth playing.  

Multiplayer:

Naruto Storm 3's multiplayer is fun most of the time and very addicting to play. There are plenty of online features to get into like ranked battles, tournaments, survival, and player battles. The online features are great and let you have plenty of things to do. The battles usually run smoothly but often times I would be in a battle that was frustratingly laggy. Being in a laggy game is extremely frustrating and makes you feel like you are being cheated because the button inputs will be so delayed. Also note that most people online do not play fairly this isn't the games fault and did not effect the review score but it shows how unbalanced some characters are.

The game also has a local versus mode were you can play against your friends locally. The local battles are the same as online without the lag and also have a lot of the features that online has like verses mode  tournaments.

Characters:

Perhaps the most anticipated thing in fighting games are the characters.  Even though Naruto Storm 3 has the largest roster of characters to date do not be fooled, most of the characters are exactly the same as they were in storm 2. Same costume, same combos, same jutsu, and same ultimates. They have literally not changed at all. There are about 10-15 new characters that were added that weren't in the series before like the Jinjuriki but most are just imported from the last Naruto storms with no difference to them what so ever. I don't expect for them to add brand new combos and ultimates to each character but if the character is important to the anime then it should see some change. Just adding characters from past games with no change seems lazy of the developers and is very disappointing. Also there are some characters that are clearly unbalanced. The storm series is notorious for unbalanced characters sense with some you can spam one move and win the match. Storm 3 tried to fix it but still has many characters that are just way to over powered. I will give credit were it is due, I do think the new characters are well designed and the new ultimates are refreshing to watch. I just wish they could have done some slight changes to characters that have sense no change sense storm 2.

Also as a side note oddly some characters shown in the trailer and story mode for the game are not playable characters. Characters like the edo kages and the seven ninja swords man are oddly not added into the character roster. I don't know why the developers didn't add them sense they seem already programmed into the game.

Storm 3 character roster

Graphics:

The Storm series have always looked good and Storm 3 is no exception. Storm 3 looks excellent from the actual gameplay to the amazing looking boss battles. The whole game looks like its straight from the anime. The characters pop off the screen and some of the new combos look really awesome.

Also as a side not the game has had a steady stream of DLC which is really cool. Even though there just costumes for characters I like the support. I'm happy to see the developers supporting the game after its release which they don't normally do.

The Result:

Unfortuantly Storm 3 just feels like a copy of Storm 2 with a slightly larger character roster. It fails to do anything different with series at all. I feel if the developers spent a little bit more time fixing the story and changing a few characters it would have been a good entry into the Storm series but because there are almost no changes to the game, it feels like a boring experience that not even the hardcore Naruto fans will enjoy.

I give it a 2 stars out of 5
Positives

+ Some new characters
+ Boss battles are really awesome
+ Cool DLC
+ Graphics are great
+ Better battle system

Negatives
- Boring story
- Tedious battles
- Boring side quest
- Laggy multiplayer
- Most Characters have been the same sense Storm 2!
- Unbalanced characters