The Uninspired Battle Cries of the Eighth Generation

There was an episode of Big Bang Theory that accidentally predicted the future of gaming. In one of the sequences, we see Sheldon Cooper desperately struggling to decide between the XBox One and the PS4. He mentions how they both have their strengths, and couldn’t quite figure out which one is the better option (Side-Note: He calls one of the female characters “Grandma” when she mentions the Wii—in case you ponder what Nintendo’s reputation is on the show). The one thing he doesn’t even mention is which one has the better games. Although the concept isn’t explored, one can argue it’s because both consoles have the same exact lineup of games—barring minor, minor differences with indie gaming, backwards-compatibility, and a few first-party exclusives. One major conclusion can and will be reached from all this:



The Console War is extremely stagnant, extremely devoid of change, and the leader out the gate (system that looks and feels like the second place console) wound up conquering it altogether.



The Playstation 4 is a nice machine. The XBox One is a nice machine. The PS4 has performed much better because of the forward momentum from PS3’s surprise finish, the Microsoft PR debacle involving DRM gaming, and because Nintendo killed every ounce of momentum it had during the peak Nintendo Wii period. This has been the case since 2013. And absolutely nothing has changed. It might crash the market, or at the very least make these sales wars extremely predictable. The eighth generation has secretly been far more boring than we could have ever predicted.

We will never have the epic battle that occurred between Nintendo and Sega during the early 90s. The two consoles (SNES and Genesis) shared the lead, exchanged the lead, made drastic changes, threw so much shade at each other that it took years to truly discover the winner. 1994 would ultimately be the turning point when Nintendo started separating itself but the damage was so intense it accidently created a new monster: The Sony Playstation. The mudslinging and backstabbing was so bad that Sony got hurt, and ultimately decided to chime in on the video game market—leading to what we see today.

It is practically impossible to imagine the gaming world if Nintendo had not betrayed Sony and if Sega had not gotten arrogant and refused to cooperate with that same company. The past might be the past, but that console war shoved video games into the economic mainstream, and proved the Wall Street world the potential of money involving video games, and the sheer competition that comes with attempting to enter the wars.

Fast-forward to today. We see Microsoft making good money, Sony making good money, and even Nintendo managing to make decent money despite the WiiU being its biggest failure since the Virtual Boy. Sony has done little to bolster its lead simply because it doesn’t have to. Microsoft hasn’t formed crazy partnerships, hasn’t made epic purchases, and hasn’t made much of a move to try to reach into Sony’s lead. There is no price cut, no special deals, no video game that is going to change the culture of gaming. Microsoft seems perfectly content with the second place positioning, even though the spoils of having the lead is all too obvious.

Sony as a company is literally being saved because of the video game division, especially when the film, television, and computer lines are nowhere near what it used to be. And outside of collecting third-party exclusives like Final Fantasy VII and Street Fighter 5, it really hasn’t had to do much to maintain its lead. Increase software output, and then sit there to collect the profits. It is great for business, extremely boring for the rest of us expecting more of a dogfight.

With the competition already well-established and minimal threats of a shift, the decision-making and the landscape will remain flat. The games won’t be as prevalent, the companies won’t be as aggressive, and in the end all we see are two machines extremely similar and unwilling to separate itself from the other, and a third machine that has been quickly abandoned in favor of an upcoming console.




The Eighth Generation blog had predicted a lot of craziness, but instead we have witnessed years of ho-hum decisions, and a lack of true battling. Even the seventh generation had more craziness, and that was with the Nintendo Wii faaaaaaar outpacing everyone else. This blog is on its final moments, as Nintendo is already looking into the ninth generation. If the Nintendo NX becomes a major success, expect the competitors to follow ship and move along to the next step.

Until then, there isn’t much to say here: Sony is #1, Microsoft is (once again) #2, and Nintendo is (once again) refusing to play by the rules by establishing another unique system that will bend the rules on how we play games.







Its boring, and its not good for gaming. Expect a slow 2016, from this blog and from the entire industry itself…barring a major push from anyone.


(Image Credit: Megamodsplanet.com)

E3 2015's Re-Affirmation of the Console War Standings

3 Things We Learned From E3:

1) Microsoft is not throwing in the towel
2) Sony is on top of its game and will remain on top for a while
3) Nintendo hates its fans.




E3 2015 has pretty much solidified the standings, as Sony remains on top, Microsoft is following nice and close in second, and Nintendo is all but irrelevant at this point---not even sure how the PR can handle the current backlash. Another major change happening in E3 is the importance of the publishers and developers impressing the media and the attendees. So now there’s much more focus on conferences from EA and Bethesda. With the Top 2 displaying similar lineups, the differences become nothing more than surprises, business decisions, pricing, and additional features within the console.

So with that, and the overwhelming amount of companies that fall off the gaming wars, you’ll see larger developers and publishers rev up the marketing during this weekend. Fallout 4 and Star Wars Battlefront pretty much led the way, taking almost all the attention from the decisions of the Playstation 4 and the XBox One. Never been an EA fan, especially after its legal monopoly on football games, but Battlefront looks darn good.

On to the Big 3. Microsoft shocked the world by offering backwards-compatibility, which was something the XBox had been trying so hard to deviate from. Microsoft had spoken out against it for years, which made this all the more surprising. The XBox One has had an interesting history of backing away from some of its original decisions, with the infamous DRM insanity from a couple years ago being the best example. Can’t blame them for throwing the kitchen sink into keeping the lead in the American market and attempt to creep into the European scene. The XBox 360 had a slew of spectacular games that deserved a second shot with the One, especially during the downtimes as we are seeing less and less major titles being produced nowadays.

The gaming industry is doing a strategy that’s similar to Disney’s cinematic technique: less is more. Less games produced, but throw more money and resources within these games. Grand Theft Auto 5 needed 5 years---but after a good marketing campaign and gamer’s support of the don’t-rush-art approach the game sells over 45 million copies amongst four consoles. So with that, you need software to hold the gamers over while they wait the next major title. Let’s be honest, outside Halo 5 is there any major exclusive XBox title that can move hardware sales? Not really. So backwards-compatibility, reaching into the past is definitely the direction to go, especially when Sony remains hesitant to do the same.

But dear God: The Final Fantasy VII remake. After years of begging and pleading for a remake to one of the last excellent JRPGs (honestly, we haven’t seen much JRPG goodness post-90s), we are finally getting it. Let’s forget the fact that Square Enix’s track record hasn’t been good in in a decade, Final Fantasy VII-2 is a reality. Not only did it remove some of the momentum from WiiU’s exciting Xenoblade Chronicles X, but combined with Shenmue 3 Sony is pretty much conquering the Japanese region in terms of consoles (The 3DS is still wickedly popular over there).

Although Sony won’t budge on their backwards-compatibility, its Playstation TV/Now/Live features cover up most of the damage from being the only console of the three lacking support of previous generations. Sony doesn’t have much to offer this year, but with such a successful run so far and outstanding third-party support the Playstation 4 has very little to worry about. The conference of Sony didn’t deliver the most hits, but delivered the most memorable blow.

As for Nintendo. Good ol’ Nintendo. The WiiU support is about dead, there was no mentioning of Zelda (that should stir the pot because if they can’t reveal anything now, I smell a delay to the next generation), the big Retro Studios announcement was a pure dud, Star Fox Zero doesn’t exactly impress (and no online support? Seriously?), and aside from Mario Maker and Xenoblade, do we really have anything to be excited over? No big surprises, no mention of Gamecube in Virtual Console (a pure miss for the past 5 years), no F-Zero, no major Metroid title, and just nothing that could possibly help Nintendo get out of its funk with the gaming crowd.

Nintendo is on some ugly crossroads. You have Nintendo of America constantly trying to clean up the shenanigans coming from the Japanese department, and you have the Japanese division continuing its bitterly stubborn ways and not trying to adapt and shift into the new age of gaming. At this point, Star Fox Zero not having online support is inexcusable. At this point, fumbling the Metroid franchise YET AGAIN after Other M ruffled the wrong feathers is also inexcusable. Lastly, not a single peek of the upcoming Zelda game is disastrous---and inexcusable. Nintendo did not win any fans during this E3, and really couldn’t give much of a convincing argument as to why you should invest in the WiiU. The system is being abandoned quite hastily—despite Super Mario Maker potentially being the most rewarding video game of 2015.

All in all, this E3 did deliver plenty of goods and surprises. The XBox One all but eliminated its ugly reputation that had been developing a few years ago after the influx of PR hiccups. Sony and the PS4 continues its reign at the top as they continue to pour money into remakes and sequels that we desire for the sake of making them exclusive to increase the value of the console. Then there’s Nintendo, making us sigh repeatedly. If you are a gamer however, there’s plenty to be excited about---even if most of the good stuff won’t come for several months.

The Quiet (Yet Successful) Year of the Playstation 4

The multimedia aspects that tarnished XBox One’s reputation is actually saving the Playstation 4. Funny how the gaming industry works.

The PS4 is outselling the competition handedly despite not having too many big games out there. And even Sony admitted that their first-party lineup is lacking, and that the rest of this year isn’t going to deliver much hype. So unless the upcoming E3 delivers surprises, don’t expect much in the gaming environment from Sony (and to an extent, Nintendo and Microsoft as well). However the PS4 is surviving mainly because it’s not just a piece of gaming hardware, it’s a multi-media device. Even if you don’t have new games, there’s the online features, the connectivity to the internet, the incredible Playstation Network, and Playstation Now. There are tons of options while awaiting the next big game.

Playstation Now is hands-down the biggest reason for Sony’s success. 300 PS3 games available at your fingertips if you are willing to shell out the bucks for the monthly subscription. Where Nintendo dropped the ball despite the overwhelming history, Sony has utilized fully by offering hundreds of classic and past games to always cover for shortcomings that can and will occur. We are witnessing gaming companies dropping left and right, some to bankruptcy and others to mobile gaming. To have something to fall back on has been nothing but lucrative in Sony’s part. After all, why else would Sony have such a big lead on Microsoft despite having similar lineups?

Microsoft dropped the ball because during the disastrous E3 they made it sound like they weren’t going to focus as much on games. Sony learned that the multi-media external activities should be a clutch, never the main focus. Simply switching the priorities around slightly could have resulted in a closer race. But the Playstation 4 is hands-down the system best geared towards the hardcore and casual gaming crowd. Microsoft may have XBox Live, but Sony has arguably everything else.

Bottom Line: Remember that gamers come first, and that your Plan Bs should be gaming-related, not NFL-related, Netflix-related, or anything that could be accomplished by a laptop. The PS4 has looked and sounded like the premiere system for gamers, and its paying off in dividends for the time being----despite the lackluster lineup. Even with Nintendo having the top game in the past year (Smash WiiU), the year and generation has belonged to the PS4, because of the superior focus.

Is The Madden Brand Fading?

Is Madden still a thing? Honestly, is it still a thing?



The Madden brand just doesn’t seem to have the power it used to have, when it was the best-selling game for 2-3 months out of the year every year during the sixth generation. During the PS2 games, it was expected that Madden would sell at least 2 million---and then would scrape up a few more millions with the XBox and (sometimes) the Gamecube.



Then something odd happened. The sales started dropping during the seventh generation.



The XBox 360 became the dominant system for Madden, yet it was averaging just half of what Madden was selling in the PS2 days. Its best-selling Madden edition, Madden 2010, was outsold by the 2006 edition by 2 million copies----and that wasn’t even the best-selling installment. And now that we’ve reached the newest generation, the best-selling Madden in this era is the 2015 edition---which barely passed 1.5 million.

So why is the Madden brand fading? It’s a mix of reputation and the overall decline in sports simulation sales. EA and Madden doesn’t have the positive vibes that it carried in the early 2000s, and by destroying the competition the effort level to enhance the franchise diminished completely. After the NFL 2K5/Madden 2005 incident (still an unforgivable act to this day, forget you EA Games), Madden 2006 began the quality downward spiral that went egregiously out of control with the XBox 360 games. And guess what, reputation goes far in the gaming industry; no matter how successful you were before the streak will end if you unleash bad product. Mortal Kombat suffered from this for about a decade post SNES/Genesis period.

The games aren’t as good anymore, and it took a couple years before gamers realized this and decided to spend their hard-earned money elsewhere. The last final blow the NFL 2K series delivered was that awesome price tag of $20 on the 2K5 edition. Ever since that year, the $50-$60 just looked much more expensive to give to a Madden game that monopolized its way to being your only option. EA never tried to lower its price, and now it’s being outsold by the NBA 2K series even though the NFL grosses about 5 billion more than the NBA.

But sports simulations just don’t sell as well as they used to, with just the FIFA series remaining a major success. The number of sim franchises has diminished severely, and the ones that have stuck around have been stagnant in the past few years because of declining quality and/or declining interest. MLB the Show peaked at the PS2 days and has yet to sell a million copies worldwide. NHL from EA also peaked in the PS2 days and the latest installment just sold 400,000 more than an N64 version of the hockey franchise. The NCAA games thanks to legal issues are non-existent.

It has become harder to justify buying the same game every year. Even Call of Duty at least changes up its story and ways of playing each year resulting in consistently outselling the competition in November (even though this franchise has also been seeing a decline). Then there’s the increasing popularity of the more entertaining, more engaging, and more rewarding fantasy football, which makes Madden look like child’s play. Fantasy sports is not just child’s play, it can also become a career. Fantasy football is a $70 billion dollar business---while Madden 2015 made somewhere over $345 million—which is a far cry from the $405 million they earned in 2005.

So how can Madden ever go back to the dominant sales days in an era where games are making more than ever? The solution is simple: convince gamers that the Madden brand is refreshed and will be worth your money. Madden should be more connected with the NFL stats and should adjust the gameplay accordingly. If you want to truly create the realest experience, you need to find a way for player and team stats to update alongside the gameplay of the consumer throughout the season. EA needs to creep closer and closer to fantasy football within the gaming experience as humanely possible.

The biggest hurdle however is taking on the legend that surrounds NFL 2K5. What made 2K5 such a gem was the presentation and the easy-to-pick-up gameplay. Madden is a pure chore to churn through when trying to survive franchise mode. It needs to loosen the realism and look more like your simpler Blitz/2K games. Too much realism and simulating hinders the experience—video gaming is an escape pure and simple. Gran Turismo might be the most realistic racer in the planet, but it survives because it’s still an easy game to handle. Madden stopped being simple a long time ago, and needs to return to this. It needs a good balance, something the 2K franchise was amazing at.

However, there is a chance that ultimately, the sports simulation franchise just might be a thing of the past. It has to be more than mere coincidence that nearly every sports sim franchise has slipped in sales (FIFA also falls in this category, although 5 million sold on the PS4 is nothing to laugh at). The sales bleeding in Madden might never stop---even if the games finally start improving. A reboot might be necessary, some time off might be required. Skipping a year or two couldn’t hurt EA anything---they still have the rights and still have their fantasy football league to rely on. But staying the course is not the answer, EA has lost too much money. A reboot, drastic change, or massive overhaul is required to return to PS2 Madden sales.

Bottom Line: Madden is not a thing. The lackluster sales and depleting interest is evidence of this. It still makes good money, especially because of lack of competition, but its power grip on the gaming industry is slipping rapidly. Similar to the JRPG genre, it could be a fading trend that not even Kevin Hart can save. Ghosts of NFL 2K5 remain hovering on the games, and believe or not its incredible gameplay and $20 price tag hit EA deeper than we could have ever anticipated. With sports being bigger than ever, Madden should be pulling in Call of Duty numbers. Instead, it’s being outsold by the likes of Just Dance 2015 and Monster Hunter. A change is needed, otherwise who knows how much longer the brand will be around.

 All Data Thanks to VGChartz

P.S. I really miss the NFL 2K series....as well as NFL Blitz....

The Foot-Shooting Foolishness of Konami

Konami, are you kidding me?



Really?



Really really?



Never get rid of the face of the franchise, no matter what. I argued this in baseball, and I am arguing this in business. Never, ever, ever get rid of the face of the franchise unless you have an awesome backup plan. And I am sure that Konami doesn’t have that backup plan. Konami survives on everything BUT gaming, and trust me that can only take you so far if you are one of the biggest gaming companies out there---eventually that expensive tab needs to be paid for.

Konami is nowhere near what it used to be in the gaming industry, they are a long way removed from their Turtles in Time days. Their revenue definitely doesn’t come from their video games because that aspect is down to the bare minimum. They have Silent Hill (seen better days), Pro Evolution Soccer (getting mauled by the FIFA franchise), Yu-Gi-Oh (The Abridged Series has higher ratings) and of course Metal Gear Solid (which may never recover after Kojima’s departure).

Why would you ever manage to lose the man responsible for your best-selling games in the past decade? 4 of the best-selling games in Konami’s history are guess what: Metal Gear Solid games. Why would you get rid of the man that gave you your only two games that sold over 6 million? And even more astonishing is that those Metal Gear games were only on the PS2. Why get rid of the man that has earned you nearly 2 billion in revenue through his creations? Kojima isn’t just a name, it’s a brand, it’s a guarantee that your video game will be good.

It may have been a power struggle within the industry, but Kojima earned his power by being one of the top developers in the industry. Kojima earned this power by providing the effort that the company he worked for could not and did not provide. Konami has been merely playing business chess for years as opposed to improving their brands of Silent Hill, Pro Evolution, Castlevania, and even the acquired franchises like Bomberman, Adventure Island, and Bonk (It has been over 20 years since a true Bonk game….are you kidding me?).

You keep him, you keep the Walt Disney of your company on board. At all costs. There really is no excuse. You know once he goes, most of his talented followers will leave as well. It’s the equivalent of removing five pieces from the center of any jenga set. Kojima is to Konami what Miyamoto is to Nintendo---absolutely irreplaceable, especially when your company doesn’t churn out the Nintendo profits.



Make nice. Buy him a car. Buy him a plane. Give him company stake. Do whatever it takes. Because of Kojima leaves, then Metal Hear Solid will slip and ultimately so will your company.





I am sure Sony (and maybe even Hollywood) is eagerly awaiting his departure……….

The (Potentially Fun) Capcom IP Bidding Wars

So Sony won the bidding wars to make Street Fighter 5 an exclusive, much to the dismay of XBox One owners. I would also say WiiU owners but a) there aren't that many of them and b) Smash Brothers trumps everything in life. Capcom has become financially strapped yet remains a gold mine of potential with the entourage of franchises within its borders. And with that was a subtle bidding contest which resulted in Microsoft backing out and instead focusing their sights on improving the recently-revived Killer Instinct. Nintendo has pretty much no care in this issue, because Super Smash Brothers is the top-selling fighting game franchise by a country mile. But Capcom now has a curious dilemma: just how much money can they rake out from the competitors?

How much money is Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft willing to pay to get their hands on more exclusives? Do remember what Capcom also has up its broke sleeve:



Devil May Cry
Resident Evil
Viewtiful Joe
Dead Rising
Gargoyle’s Quest
Okami
Monster Hunter
Mega Man
Mega Man X
Ghost n’ Goblins
Bionic Commando
Breath of Fire
Captain Commando
Final Fight
Lost Planet
Phoenix Wright
Power Stone


(This list came from an earlier article about Capcom)


That’s a lot of video games yet to be made, remade, and blessed with sequels and potential spin-offs. And each company can benefit greatly from some of these brands. Sony can try to win back the American market with Devil May Cry, Resident Evil, Dead Rising, Viewtiful Joe, and Bionic Commando (Clever game mechanics in need of revamping). Microsoft can try to earn some Japanese trust with Lost Planet, Okami, Power Stone, Breath of Fire, and (especially) Monster Hunter. Lastly, Nintendo can continue its stranglehold on the platform market with Mega Man, Mega Man X, Ghosts n’ Goblins, Captain Commando, and Gargoyle’s Quest.

And of course, Marvel vs. Capcom is most likely also available for the taking.

Capcom might have seen better days, but can develop nice relationships with each of the major companies with its extensive library if it can reach into the past and tap into previous gold. The Big Three can each benefit in a variety of ways if they can pony up the money and help Capcom finance some of these games.

Like previously said, Sony needs more Americans to move away from Microsoft. Resident Evil would be an even bigger devastating blow if they can nab the rights. Take over Resident Evil 7 and go back to basics: become much more horror and much less action. Devil May Cry is another franchise that has seen better days but can still attract the North American crowd---and do remember once upon a time Devil May Cry belonged to just Sony.

Microsoft needs this more than the other competitors. Monster Hunter would be definitely the first and main major step, as it draws mammoth numbers on the 3DS (the latest installment nearly sold 2 million copies in Japan on the first day alone. The XBox One hasn’t even hit 50,000 copies). Then there’s the Japanese-friendlier Viewtiful Joe and Breath of Fire games which can trigger some improvement for the third-generation Green Machine. But if there’s one they can’t afford to forever lose (which...technically is whats going on anyway), it would be Monster Hunter.

Of course, Nintendo should just nab all the Mega Man rights and take the franchise to the next level. With Retro Studios, Intelligent Systems, and Nintendo R&D1 major experts on the genre, Mega Man 11 and Mega Man X12 would make absolute sense being Nintendo-exclusive. I can see Mega Man Classic on the 3DS, with the X series on the major console and perhaps even a 3-D upgrade ala Metroid Prime to attract new audiences. Of course, this is something we call agree on: Nintendo needs something soon, and fast for the WiiU. Mega Man can become that revival ticket.

Bottom Line: Capcom remains a gold mine, and it’s time for all the major companies to step up and nab their share of the treasure. Everybody can win at the time, and gamers in general can also win by seeing the cluster of Capcom classics see new life. There’s a lot of great games and great wealth that can be won in the coming years, it just requires some financial sacrifices and a willingness to work with the sinking ship of a company. Step up everybody, with the right exclusive games the tides can be turned in your favor. And Capcom, with the right business moves and smarts concerning the value of your product you can also see a comeback.

Nobody blow it.

Is There Another End to the Platform Era?

Are platformers in trouble?



Again?



Sunset Overdrive for the XBox One had platformer elements and didn’t really do much of anything. 8 weeks in and its being outsold by the dismal Nintendo Land and the can’t-believe-I-am-still-in-the-charts Mario Kart Wii. The Super Mario games on the WiiU despite decent software-to-hardware ratio barely moved WiiU sales---combining the sales of both games and they still trail Super Mario Galaxy by at least 4 million copies, and trail New Super Mario Bros. Wii by over 20 million.

In case nobody noticed, but LittleBigPlanet 3 came out. In case nobody noticed, it did quite poorly. It trails the original by 4 million copies and can’t even outsell the Vita version---which didn’t do much better either. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze also came out in 2014, and disappeared off the face of the map by not even hitting its first million copies. The mediocre and jarring Game Boy Color version of Donkey Kong Country sold better for crying out loud.

Last but not least, we have Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker make less than a whisper on the sales charts, not even crossing 500,000 copies. Not saying that I was right in that it should have been a Wario game (the franchise averages 2 million copies per entry, while missing a sequel for the past 6 years), but it does make you think why not label Wario on a game that has you collect money….

Come to think of it, where was Wario on the coin-crazy New Super Mario Bros. 2---which also is part of the downward trend as it sold less than a third of what the original New SMB sold….

So of course, with the sales of the genre on the downward spiral, the question is why, and the next question is how to end the trend? My main theory is that you can find far, far cheaper simple platform games on tablets, on smartphones, on webpages promoting television shows, and many other sources when compared to other genres like sports games, like shooters, and sandbox gems like Grand Theft Auto. Platform games are simpler to create and entertain so therefore you will find plenty of choices cluttering the market, leading to games like Tropical Freeze slide underneath the radar. There are still lots of seventh generation carryover sales, leading to the new-gen games suffering.

The bigger problem is that the high-budget high-profile platform sequels have lately absolutely failed to display why it’s superior to the previous installment and display why you should fork over the money to buy another game in the series. New Super Mario Bros. U was a launch title, yet still looked and played exactly like the Wii version. No level editor, no new characters, no major gameplay changes, and no additional goodies worthy of checking out. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze looked exactly like the Wii (and 3DS) installments, while failing to bring back the popular Kremlings villains that we had grown to love during the SNES days.

The lack of diversity and creativity is tarnishing the platform genre right now. Treasure Tracker might seem clever, until you realize that it’s just a spin-off from another WiiU game (Super Mario 3D World). Sunset Overdrive is at least a hybrid of Tony Hawk, third-person shooter, and platform---total shame it didn’t create Halo or Destiny sales. However Mario, Donkey Kong, Kirby, Sockman, and Mega Man hasn’t seen dramatic changes or improvements in years, while other platform franchises have been eerily quiet for an even longer period of time (Banjo-Kazzoie, Conker, Earthworm Jim, Wario, Gunstar Heroes, Contra). This isn’t the first time the platform genre had a drought (Sixth Generation anyone?) but was saved in the seventh generation because of the influx of new platform franchises and revivals as well as the rise of indie gaming. But the overkill of games may have led to the fatigue.

To get out of the current funk, we need the platform genre to take the next step forward. Mario should find new and innovative ways to get from the beginning to the end, while simultaneously changing the rules on the 3D platform series. Sonic should refocus on speed and intensity, and should stop imitating the others. Wario, COME BACK ALREADY! Wario Land 2 and 3 are some of the finest platform gaming you’ll ever experience because of its extremely unique level design. Lastly on a personal level, I would love to see Earthworm Jim make a comeback and have an image makeover for the new generation.

Bottom Line: The platform genre has seen better days, as 2014 gave us acclaimed games that were outsold by all the competitors and seventh generation installments. It could be the fatigue, it could be the familiar looks that lost appeal to the gamers, it could be the overwhelming competition from all types of technology, and lastly it could be the slow transitioning to the next creative step. Whatever the reason, the sales are sliding, and it’s affecting even deserving games. The Age of the Platformer is done, and unless the designers can concoct some new recipes, it’s going to be this way for a while….



…especially for Nintendo, which thrives on the genre…..

The Convoluted Bundle Wars

Welcome to the Bundle Wars. The very confusing Bundle Wars.


Check out that bundle........and notice its from the previous generation...............


Currently in the lead is Sony, who seems to be doing everything right. Even though they are becoming the most expensive system out there come November, they have the mighty and powerful Grand Theft Auto 5 supporting them. GTA V will be bundling with new PS4s in the Japanese region, European region, and if we American gamers are lucky, the American region. Sony might just be waiting to see if Microsoft or Nintendo is pulling out any surprises. That being said, it should be a sure-fire deal to make this deal a reality in the North American borders….it would make sense…right?

Microsoft has a Halo Bundle…..for Japan. No announcement for the United States getting the same deal, despite being dead last in the Eighth Generation and trailing Sony by a landslide. And despite the price cut, still no big bundle announcement to become the second major blow to the main competitor Sony. Now at $350 it only trails the might-as-well-be-non-existent-yet-it-still-won’t-die Nintendo WiiU. Microsoft needs to expand its horizons and not look like just a system with shooters. With two good Forza games, a San Andreas upgrade, and Sunset Overdrive Microsoft should really consider expanding its bundle options to deliver the best deal in the market. Until then, it just looks like a less-expensive PS4 with fewer games.

Of course, Nintendo has the biggest hand of them all. Never mind Call of Duty, never mind Grand Theft Auto 5. Nintendo has the awkwardly and rather uninspiring-titled Super Smash Brothers for WiiU coming out in November (Why wasn’t it called Smash Brothers Armageddon or Smash Brothers 4?) yet there is no mention of a bundle. How incredible would it have been if Nintendo announced a Smash Brothers Melee/HyperMelee bundle that would include the game, the Gamecube controller, AND Virtual Console access to Smash Brothers Melee? How much sense would it make for Nintendo to fight Microsoft’s price cut with the announcement of the Virtual Console finally expanding to Gamecube games?

Despite all the success from the three systems, their potential is still exponentially off. Sony needs to create the GTA V Bundle and make it for everybody, don’t be exclusive. And hey, why not also throw in a Last of Us Bundle? You are now the most expensive system in the market, so you need to crank up the value of the system while awaiting the next major game. Although you are winning the indie and third-party market, that can only take you so far until its obvious you need a first-party AAA title pretty soon.

Microsoft. For goodness sakes, Halo is a beast in the United States----where is the bundle announcement?!? You are dead last, with few prospects outside the Halo border for 2015, why aren’t you…never mind, I am done with you.

Nintendo, I am also done with you. Not bundling Smash Brothers, your biggest game in about a decade and extremely crucial to the future of your system, is a silly idea. Still not having Gamecube games in the Virtual Console is also a silly, silly idea. And still charging $5-$10 for NES and SNES games when the XBox 360 got a revamped PS2 game at just south of $4 is undeniably city.

As of now, nobody is winning the Bundle Wars, because nobody has figured out how to correctly market to American gamers that have yet to make their decision. And Black Friday is just four weeks away.





Pick it up people….

The E3 2014 Requirements For All Three Systems

E3 2014 is just around the corner, and with the XBox One matching the PS4 in prices, the summer and remained of this year will become a hotly-contested arms race, as it is no longer the PS4 with the overwhelming best deal. E3 will definitely become the forecast as to how the rest of the year is going to play out. Will the PS4 continue dominating? Will the WiiU finally start its chase for first place? Can the XBox One get out of the cellar? This E3 might be able to provide the hints. Each of the major players has yet to unveil much as to what is coming, but they each do have some requirements.



We shall start with Sony and the PS4/Vita. The Playstation Vita is getting absolutely destroyed (16% market share is a joke) and perhaps the only way to truly save it is become more of a system for the Japanese and Far East gamers. So for the Vita we should be talking more JRPGs, more fighters, more content from the likes of Capcom and Square Enix. The original PSP stayed relevant because of its impact in the Japanese gaming community. 20 million PSPs were sold in Japan, which was more than what they sold in America, and that’s in a country with 200 million less people.

The Vita needs to Final Fantasy it up; seek out old-school RPGs and new-school RPGs to remain relevant in the Asian market. To compete directly against the 3DS is no longer a feasible option, as it will continue to struggle to go up against the androids, Apple products, and smart phones. More games, and more appealing games is the solution. Don’t look like a PS3/PS4-lite, provide your own arsenal of software that is unique from everyone else.

The PS4 is doing fantastic, and that’s without much of a first-party showing (so far). However, this E3 is their chance to really make waves by throwing out some of their flagship franchises like Gran Turismo, Uncharted, Last of Us, God of War, among others. Can we potentially see a Crash Bandicoot reboot? A new Little Big Planet? Perhaps something brand new? Either way, Sony can win simply by maintaining its awesome online software lineup, maintaining its third-party connections, and not flubbing up and ruining a good thing. Gamers are now more than ever willing to fork out the big bucks as long as the games keep coming; and the record-setting sales pace of the PS4 is proving this.



Microsoft crafted a PR nightmare last year with the DRM disaster that was never fully explained, never fully thought-out, and was just met with Twitter/Gamer outrage. So this year, stop the non-gaming nonsense and focus on becoming the ultimate system for online play, for action-packed shooters, and the top billing for blockbuster games. While Sony owns the indie market and currently owns the genres of adventures and RPGs; the big-budget gems belong to Microsoft. Forza, Halo, Gears of War, and Fable are amongst the biggest games out there. We need more of these gorgeous immersive games to be promised to the fans if Microsoft ever plans on escaping the cellar. And unlike Nintendo and Sony, Microsoft has more money to throw, more money to spend, and more resources to make this a reality. Rev up the XBox Live, and pump up the big games. Sometimes all it takes is that one huge game to truly push the sales forward---look at all that Grand Theft Auto 5 last year accomplished.

But seriously though Microsoft, gamers don’t care about the TV shows, about the NFL connection, or any of the multi-media nonsense. Stay away from all of that by any means necessary.




Lastly, we have Nintendo. The WiiU is currently the cheapest system, currently also the system in most need of good news. They need software, and lots of it. And unlike the PS4 and the XBox One, Nintendo has the best opportunity to rev back into the past and deliver more games than anyone else out there. The Virtual Console for the WiiU is missing DS, N64, and Gamecube games---amongst those three systems that’s easily over 200 potential games to re-release for a new audience. HD remakes of past Nintendo classics could also help---like Smash Brothers Melee, Metroid Prime, Majora’s Mask, Super Mario 64, Mario Sunshine, Eternal Darkness, Mario Party (2, preferably), among many, many, many others.

But don’t just stop there Nintendo, we need more of your heavy-hitters. We need to see a new Metroid, a new Zelda, a new true-blue 3-D Mario adventure, and perhaps even some transitions from handheld to console from the likes of Pokemon (most obvious answer), Golden Sun, Professor Layton, Phoenix Wright, and even Wario Land. We need to see updated and modernized versions of classic franchises like Mario Golf/Tennis, Kid Icarus, Fire Emblem, and to an extent even Zelda (Which needs to achieve Elder Scrolls-like scope without question). Nintendo’s reputation for excellent game has always trumped its questionable business decisions, and all it takes is a game to the quality of a Super Mario Galaxy to bring the company back on its feet. But software is its biggest issue, and the biggest point that needs to be driven home this E3. And just focus on the WiiU, and save the 3DS news for a later date in a Nintendo Direct of some sort. But the WiiU needs all the love, all the focus, and all the saving.

This E3 should be another fun one, as the companies are now closer than ever in terms of competition and claiming the crown. All it takes is one wildly good bit of news to swing the momentum. Its just a matter of seeing who will deliver the biggest blow.

The Continuing Rise of Sony

For the few of you that continue reading this blog, you’ll notice the lack of articles about Sony.



The reason is very simple: Sony has not screwed up as much as the competitors in recent years. Especially Nintendo.



And their reward? Winning the 2013 Holiday Season and being a few months away from taking first place in the Eighth Generation race.


Sony, led by a great marketing campaign, excellent forward momentum, good arsenal of third-party games has won the holiday season even though there weren’t many exclusive titles for its newest system or its latest handheld. It already is closing in on the WiiU hardware sales and is slowly but surely separating itself from the troubled XBox One (still recovering from its summer of controversy).


The Playstation Vita will definitely lose against the 3DS, and may not even reach the sales of the original PSP. But the Vita is gaining traction in Japan and is handedly outselling Nintendo’s WiiU. A victory is a victory, even if it’s coupled by a couple losses. Let’s also add its sales have increased by over 160% in Europe since the release of the Playstation 4, so there might be a growing market in the England-and-beyond-Europe community.


Sony became smart by making the Vita a piggyback to the Playstation 4 as opposed to a full-on competitor against smartphones and Nintendo (the hardware fight has been pointless for two decades now. Nintendo owns this and it is their battle to lose). So the Vita is an expensive niche that can serve as a controller or a nice accessory to the reasonably-priced PS4.


PS4 has sold 4.7 million copies, and has survived the I-am-accidently-competing-against-my-own-system PS3 crossing the 80 million threshold and still making good money thanks to the mammoth success of Grand Theft Auto V an FIFA 13. And this is with only one of the PS4’s best-selling games being an exclusive, with Killzone on the list. So imagine what happens when Uncharted, Gran Turismo, God of War, Little Big Planet, and whatever Naughty Dog has up their sleeve releases. The main difference between Microsoft and Sony is that while Microsoft has more third-party power, Sony has made excellent strides in the first-party department.


And let’s recall that it has not even come out in Japan. Outselling the XBox 360 9 to 1 last generation, Sony has a lot of forward momentum heading through 2014 as the third-party hasn’t abandoned them like they have Nintendo, and they have yet to unleash their big weapons. It is a good time to be a Sony fan.


With the dust finally settling from 2013’s Black Friday and Holiday Season, it is definitely Sony’s victory as the PS3 continues selling, the Vita is earning a new life as a niche product, and the brand-new PS4 is inches away from overtaking the WiiU and becoming the top dog of the Eighth Generation.




Well done, Sony.

Sony Needs to Up the 1st Party Ante for PS4

So with Microsoft still desperately trying to repair its image and Nintendo seemingly trying anything to tarnish theirs, we have Sony front and center ready to make their strike.

Sony, coming off a good report about their overall profits despite the game division hitting about even, are finally on the upswing and ready to take on the eighth generation with their nicely priced Playstation 4.


However…


There is this troubling thing about the E3 conference that still lingers: their games. Kingdom Hearts 3 was their big announcement----but this is also an Xbox One game. Metal Hear Solid 5 also turned some heads during E3---but that’s also an Xbox One title. Their biggest titles were The Last of Us and Gran Turismo 6---which are actually PS3 games. Oh but there’s Final Fantasy---wait, never mind.

Now there’s no way that me and potentially other gamers closely following this war are going to spend money on a Microsoft machine for a nice period of time. Ugly incident with the DRM issue, high price tag, and my continuing trust issues with the company.


However….


What awesome, must-purchase exclusive Playstation 4 game was announced? Anyone? There was no next-gen Uncharted, no next-gen Ratchet and Clank, no next-gen Jak and Daxter, no next-gen Sly Cooper, and lastly we aren’t even sure if their biggest franchise (Gran Turismo) is getting a release within the first year on the new machine. All we got was the new Killzone, which is still a few layers below the other first-person shooter franchises like Call of Duty, Battlefield, and Halo. I know that Sony pretty much fired all their best work in the last leg of the PS3’s lifespan, leaving all the first and second-party companies scrambling for time with the new system coming out. If Sony wants to remove all momentum from Microsoft, they need to build up their first-party lineup for a full attack.

The PS3 surprisingly had the best blend of first and second-party games this previous generation, an award usually given to Nintendo (After all, Nintendo always survives solely because they can game-build their way out of any issue). Between Gran Turismo 5, Little Big Planet, and the spectacular Uncharted trilogy the Playstation 3 was saved by a second wave of video games that propelled the entire company past Microsoft for the silver medal in the seventh generation.

But if they want to accomplish this success once again starting this holiday season, depending on third-party games that you are going to see on the competition is not the right way to go. Sony dropped the ball by not withholding some of these great exclusives for the next generation, especially Gran Turismo 6. Call of Duty, Madden, Elder Scrolls, Battlefield, NBA 2K, and Rockstar’s games sold better on the 360 than on the PS3. And with the Xbox One not being a restricting prick of a console, Microsoft is starting to stand toe to toe with Sony.


Sony, you don’t need to have another PS3 on your hands. What you need to do is kill em’ with exclusives, early, and with rapid succession. Otherwise, it will be hard to separate yourself from the pack.




P.S. You need to kill the Vita to cut the bleeding. The embarrassing 14% market share just won't cut it.

The Insanity of the 2013 E3

E3 2013.

Holy mackerel, you are frustrating.

This is quite possibly the most intense, most dramatic, and most cutthroat E3 we have seen in quite some time. While usually companies shy away from each other and focus more on why their machine is the best, this time Microsoft and Sony’s conferences were directly linked and jabs were most definitely exchanged---with far more coming from the Sony. Now the gaming world has become more cluttered and more confusing because we have one machine with a good-looking lineup but an ishload of issues, and on the other hand you have a machine that has none of the restrictions but----still a little more lacking on the games. Then there is Nintendo, being avoided once again, but somehow still being exactly where they want to be----except wishing for more sales.




The Microsoft conference perfectly resembled its status as a gaming giant---broken, inconsistent, not much noise, and with a sour taste in the background. It had a good lineup of sequel—er, games, and had a few new interesting IPs as well as some nice surprises (Killer Instinct). But…but…..we still can’t forget all the nonsense this company is throwing at gamers, all the insane restrictions that will be on the system. Lastly, how on earth can one get over the price tag? $500 for a system with DRM, required online, and no backwards-compatibility? Please. And one can only wonder if the Xbox Live, which is $60 to start, will be required to do the online connection. You might wind up spending up to $700 from the start for a two-controller Xbox One with one launch title.



But Sony had remained hum about the entire used-game and DRM material as well, leading to speculation and fears. But Sony, who most likely won the show by the way, delivered such a heavy sigh of relief people don’t realize (or don’t care) that you now have to pay for online gaming, something that was going to be expected inevitably. Oh, and it is not backwards-compatible. But that bad news easily doesn’t hold a handle to the potential issues of Xbox One. PS4 will play used games, will not require an internet connection, and is going with the very reasonably priced $400 price tag to even combat the WiiU’s heavier $350 price tag.

While the line-up wasn’t as pretty as Xbox One’s lineup, do remember they did announce a few games during their exclusive conference weeks earlier. Besides, Kingdom Hearts 3 (which should be the biggest game of all-time) definitely made up for the smaller list of software. And the other besides, most of Sony’s exclusive developers are still churning out games for the PS3. That being said, more and more of Sony’s announcements are gearing towards games that are actually also coming out for the Xbox One.


In terms of Day One, it totally belonged to Sony. Sony knew the right price, knew when to deliver the bad news, and didn’t dwell into stupid territory unlike what has happened to Microsoft. They knew how to connect with their audience with their consumers, and were able to satisfy their simple needs: games, nice price, and no stupidity. Microsoft even had the audacity to transform Killer Instinct into a game with cell phone game-like qualities—forcing you to pay for the characters. So even if the lineup of games are seemingly shared with the competition---for $100 less you can get a system with the same games sans the first-person shooters the Xbox systems are known for.  It was now all up to Nintendo to attempt to steal some of the fire.




Except Nintendo, much like Microsoft’s sequels entourage and Sony’s PS4 future policies played it safe----extremely, extremely safe. Nintendo’s lack of risks can probably be attributed to the recent slow starts of the unique systems of the 3DS and the WiiU. Nonetheless, their presentation suffered immensely because of the franchises playing it far too safe and close to the punch. Retro Studios’ ultra-secret project was nothing more than a sequel to Donkey Kong Country Returns. The cryptic messages of Retro turned out to be a game so safe it was unexpected. We were dreaming of potentially a Retro Studios Metroid, Star Fox, F-Zero, maybe even Zelda. As of now, as of this typing, the DKC game is all we got. Something has to be brewing; otherwise, it would have been the most anti-climactic gaming thing since Halo 2. But do remember that the last Smash Brothers was revealed the day AFTER the original Nintendo conference all those E3s ago.

The new Mario 3D game was too safe, the 3DS sequels to SNES classics are too safe, the Pokemon games were way too safe, the entire damn conference was too safe. Even the background to the presentation was safe—as the lifeless presentation slowly revealed title after title. The only reason why the safeness isn’t that big an issue is because Nintendo still churns out the best first-party titles, even if Sony has barged in a little in that debate. Pokemon is still the best RPG series out there, Mario and Donkey Kong own the platform genre, Mario Kart owns the racing genre (good-looking eighth installment by the way), and lastly---there’s Smash Brothers.---which has sold 24 million copies within just 3 games. Nintendo knows this, and they need to save the WiiU. So it makes sense. However, no surprises. No price cut, no Ambassador Program like in the 3DS, no returning IPs, nothing.




Except Mega Man on Smash Brothers 4. That was a pleasant, pleasant surprise. A few more of these and they could have won the conference.


All in all, the conference was a budding realm of controversy, jabs, and surprises. In the poker game of the gaming industry, Nintendo is the one that folds on a hand of two pairs, Sony is the one that doesn’t take advantage of its royal flush, and Microsoft is the one that raises the pot while holding a pair of clubs. There might be a few new surprises and revelations within the next couple days after the publishing of this article, but for now there is no clear winner, we just have a clear loser:


Us gamers, whom are still probably just as confused as to where to spend the money this holiday season.

The Disappearing Appeal of XBox Gaming

So are we watching the resurgence of a former champion in Sony?


Or a total collapse of another company in the gaming industry in Microsoft?

It is like the eternal sports question, is it a comeback or is it a collapse?


Sony’s return to prominence has been happening for the past couple of years, as the PS3 has cranked out a variety of gems and allowed itself to leapfrog the Xbox 360 into second place in the seventh generation market share. Although the Vita is still a mess, the PS3 has remained relevant, and the former ugly image associated with Sony is slowly drifting away.


On the other hand: Microsoft is in major trouble.


They may not even see it yet.


The 360 hasn’t come up with a major original hit in quite some time. The Halo appeal has drifted, the other major Microsoft franchises has seemingly disappeared, third-party games are beginning to do better on the PS3, and Japan is still positively avoiding the company like the plague (The 360 has already been outsold by the Vita in lifetime sales over in the Japanese gamespace). But none of this can possibly prepare you for the potential backlash of the Xbox One.



Required Online.



Think about this for a second. They want your Xbox One to be online---at least once a day or your game will experience issues. So this pretty much ruins your Xbox experience if you are overseas fighting, if you are in a cruise ship, if you are on vacation in a hotel, in an area with very poor online reception, in an area that had just been hit by a disaster, or if you had just moved to a new place and await for cable to arrive. There are dozens of other scenarios in which this new requirement would make for gaming to become an absolute chore on the new Microsoft machine, but then I would drift off-topic.


And wait…what if Microsoft’s servers went down?

What if Xbox Live got attacked?


The fact is this: Microsoft is alienating its entire audience and fanbase: hardcore and casual. Casual gamers would have absolutely no idea how to maneuver around life with the Xbox One restricting your damn game from playing if it didn’t touch the internet in 24 hours, and the hardcore most likely won’t appreciate the fact that you can’t share the games at launch, can’t re-sell the games at launch (and possibly beyond), you have to wait 30 days just to share certain content with someone else, and can’t even play Xbox 360 games in this new machine.


Gaming is supposed to be simple.
Gaming is supposed to unite people together.


United gaming is essential, which is why the SNES remains one of the best systems ever (the slew of excellent 2-player games), why the N64 survived (Became the ultimate party system until the invention of the Xbox Live), why the PS2 won the war while the Gamecube faltered (Online gaming was best here, and Nintendo didn’t embrace the internet—leading to a last-place finish), why the Nintendo Wii was at one point on pace to shatter every sales record known to man (I had pretty much declared the Wii the winner two years ago because of how freakin' big a sales lead it had) and why the Xbox 360 was able to survive in 1st/2nd for so long with the weakest 1st-party lineup (Xbox Live was wonderful in recent years).


Connectivity is what makes Microsoft’s systems—why on Earth would you damage this?

Xbox Live is usually synonymous with good online gaming. All we want is a next-generation system with good games, good third-party support, and good online capabilities. It is such a simple formula. Nintendo doesn’t follow this because they don’t have the Sony/Microsoft budget so they do a smoke-and-mirrors technique of trying to change the rules. The Playstation 3 learned that great games push great hardware sales. The Last of Us is the latest example of Sony truly digging deep into its first-party weapons to continue the positive upswing.

It is so obscenely simple. We want games. Games. Games. Games. The WiiU would not have been such a disaster if it weren't for the total lack of games. No television/gaming connections, no extra random features, and especially no pointless and irritating restrictions that makes a simple hobby known as gaming become a fight for justifiable expensive entertainment. And what are the chances that with these constraints Microsoft can quietly jack the price of the games themselves? Up to this point, anything is possible.

Microsoft managed to shatter any momentum it could have had at the expense of the flailing Nintendo WiiU and the also-questionable Playstation 4 (Sony, don’t think that I have forgotten that your stance on DRM remains ho-hum). Now, the WiiU doesn’t look that bad because you can actually share the games, while Sony isn’t pushing for the stupid daily online requirement.



Microsoft, you are ridiculous. You lost a potential buyer this year.




And I am pretty sure you are going to lose many more if you continue down this path.

The Bond Villian Syndrome of Sony and Microsoft

Nintendo is like James Bond, a flashy character that's seen better days now he is tied up and inches away from being killed. This is it. The only way to get out of this alive is through other factors beyond his control.






Sony and Microsoft are the Bond villains that have successfully mounted a comeback, successfully had their plan in motion, and now have James Bond on the ropes, inches from his death. All they need to do is pull that one switch. Yet, inexplicably, they delay their death blow, allowing for James Bond to escape.

This is what essentially has happened in the past couple of weeks. Both the Playstation 4 and the XBox One have had their opportunity to unveil their system, and pretty much strip every last ounce of hope from the Nintendo WiiU. Instead, with a series of ridiculous decisions we now find ourselves seeing some hope in Nintendo---while uncertainty faces the gamers that want the next-gen systems but aren't sure how much they have to actually sacrifice.

Let's start with the issue of Backwards Compatibility: there is none. Sony's success with the PS2 as well as the only reason the PS3 had any playing time can be attributed to the ability to play games from the past. The sixth generation saw the PS2 as the only backwards compatible machine as it overtook the Gamecube, the XBox, and the Dreamcast quite easily. The PS3 had an extremely rough start because of its pure lack of games--but with the ability to play PS2 games (at first, not later in the seventh generation) definitely helped a little.

And then there's the XBox One, also not backwards compatible. Now, we have layers of advancements in gaming and production technology and we still can't find a way to play older games? What about downloadable games from the PS3 and XBox 360 days? What happens to those? Well, Microsoft and Sony are still a little iffy on the subject. The answers remained mixed.

And now there's the DRM issue. Nintendo not only has the ability to play Wii games (and games even older, but that feature remains extremely limited and extremely far from reaching its potential) but it does not believe in the DRM technique. The DRM technique is basically charging people money for using someone else's video game----that or not even have the chance to play it unless you buy your own copy or play it over at someone elses' house. Once again, Sony and Microsoft were mum about the issue.

So now begs the statement: why? Why? Why? Why?

Sony, you had it. You are riding so much momentum it looks like a tsunami sometimes. And yet, somehow, you not only manage to minimize excitement of the PS4, but gave the WiiU a good shot. Why on earth did you eliminate backwards compatibility? The PS3 had an amazing underrated arsenal of games that gamers realized only way too late and too deep into the lifecycle. You could have continued sales of PS3 games as well as PS4 games if you had made the smallest of efforts and allowed us to reach into the past. And remaining quiet about the DRM is issue is quite scary.

Microsoft, you also blew it. Your conference came off as company that wants to do everything, which means focusing less on games and gamers. Did gamers really want to hear about the exclusive content of the NFL? Not really. And now you are required to be online at least once a day? Required online connectivity with the Kinect at the helm is a hacker's dream come true, not to mention a conspiracy theorists' nightmare. So instead of us being excited for the upcoming E3, we are now worried about what we might see: Required online, potential DRM features, no backwards compatibility, and a strong potential for a heavy price tag at launch.



Nintendo, you escaped, for now. It is up to you to take advantage of the small breathing room that has just occurred.

Why Gran Turismo 6 Needs to be a PS4 Launch Title

The Playstation 4 is on a good start with a successful conference, a successful lineup, and good momentum coming from the rebound of the Playstation 3. Let’s not bring up the Vita-----quite possibly ever. What the PS4 needs is that killer launch title that can get the system going to a great start. Against popular opinion, one game can turn a system around. Donkey Kong Country allowed for the SNES to win the war, Final Fantasy 7 catapulted the original Playstation to new heights, Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow gave the Game Boy new life, Wii Sports jump-started the mammoth success of the Wii, and lastly we have Ocarina of Time 3D arguably giving the 3DS its first true breath of life back in the summer of 2011.

So all Sony needs to go is guarantee a good, good launch title.




Gran Turismo 6 must be that game.


GT6 was announced recently to become a PS3 game, continuing the trend that each Playstation needs 2 GT games. This racing sim franchise is the most successful in all of gaming, even with Forza nipping into its sales in recent years. Gran Turismo is the perfect game to showcase what Sony’s machines are capable of. Gran Turismo 2 through 5 were games that always tested the hardware and set the benchmark as to the way racing games should look, sound, and feel. GT3 remains in my opinion one of the best racing games of all-time---ranking way up there with Forza 3, and the underrated gems of Excitebike 64, Mario Kart 64 and (especially underrated) Burnout 3.

So why is part 6 just a PS3 title this year? They should pull a Twilight Princess and release it on both the current platform and the future platform to reach out to a wider audience and in order to truly flash the specs on the PS4. It only makes too much sense. When Twilight Princess pulled off the same technique, it became part of the 2006 launch of the Wii while becoming the swansong of the Nintendo Gamecube. It sold a total of 7 million copies---most of it coming from the newer system.

With the already-established base of 77 million, Gran Turismo 6 for the PS3 is an absolute no-brainer. GT5 itself sold 10 million copies, and the prologue sold 5 million to add to that. But in order to really get the gamers excited about the next big thing, GT6 should also coincide as a launch title. Some may argue that putting it on both systems would kill sales of the PS4, but the truth is we all know the PS4 is going to be expensive right off the bat so why not reward owners of the PS3 (whom have been through a roller coaster of emotions these past few years) with the same game? GT6 for both the PS3 and PS4 would be perfect because that way owners that aren’t ready to enter the eighth generation of gaming can still get their quality racing simulating fix.

Sony, it is very simple: your top franchise deserves to be on multiple systems, and Gran Turismo 6 most definitely should become a launch title.

How Sony Got It's Console Groove Back

Sony is slowly inching its way back into the game.


After a horrendous beginning in the PS3’s lifespan Sony has turned things around in the console wars and is inches away from taking second place away from Microsoft while also developing the best momentum with the best arsenal of games in the past couple of years.

And continuing this momentum is the announcement of the Playstation 4.



To make things simple and clear: The Playstation 4 conference delivered, and righted every wrong Nintendo committed when announcing the Nintendo WiiU. They announced the specs, they answered most of the burning questions, revealed plenty of hardware and software dropped a few upcoming projects. And announcing this before the E3 brings the pressure to Nintendo and Microsoft to truly impress or Sony is going to arrive towards a successful holiday season (Granted they don’t have a ridiculous launch price).



Unlike Nintendo, Sony knew that gamers wanted to know: hardware details, what software to look forward to, and why we should be excited in forking over another $400 to another console. Streaming software, supposed connection to all previous Playstation systems and games, heavy amount of software backed by great third-party support, an expanded multi-player online system, and perhaps biggest of all: Diablo 3. The PS4 seems to be starting to bridge the gap between PC gaming and console gaming by taking one of the best PC franchises out there.

The conference in New York was long, had plenty of information, had barely any downtime, and showed a lot of wonderful gameplay. Sony fans could not be disappointed, there was no way. New Final Fantasy, new Killzone, Diablo III, and the rising favorite Watch Dogs. How can you go wrong?

Sony fans, this month belongs to you. The PS3 has three new JRPGs on the way, released one of the better ones in recent memory, continues pouring a good lineup of quality games in recent years, and have the PS4 to look forward to by the end of this year.



Welcome back Sony.

P.S. Now....about that failing Playstation Vita.....

The Holiday Season That Dictates the Future

So with the rather lack of games we’ve been getting lately, the next question is when will Microsoft and Sony pony up and release their next generation of consoles? As of now neither has really officially hinted at a certain release date, although for certain the rumors are flying everywhere. The truth is, and they won’t admit it, the launch dates for both consoles depends on one element:


The WiiU Launch.


Never in gaming has a company had such a head start towards the next generation---unless you count the Dreamcast which came out at the worst possible time. To this day the Sega folks still kicks themselves for not releasing it a year later. Alright, back to Nintendo. Nintendo’s head start is at least one year, and could quite possibly be 2-3 years---which gives them the entire market to themselves for quite some time. If there is an opportunity for some new IPs and some highly-anticipated exclusives, the time would definitely be the 2012 Holiday Season/2013 Spring timeframe.

Nintendo’s head start could whether be good news or devastating news. It is as simple as this: if the WiiU can have a crazy successful Wii-like launch, then expect those two companies to roll over their systems the very next holiday season if not extremely early 2014. If the WiiU were to launch well, then expect them to try to kill the momentum before they wind up six feet under. Expect them to crash E3 2013 with their new stuff and just play catch up.

And trust me, Sony does not ever want to play catch up ever again—the Playstation 3 is the best-selling system amongst the consoles within the last two years but you would never know that. Nobody would ever know that as Sony to this day is losing money from the way they flopped during their launch.

But if Nintendo’s WiiU would pull a 3DS and take off on an extremely slow start, then expect Sony and Microsoft to take their sweet time and aim for a 2014 release, while still keeping their current systems prevalent with their sequels and strong third-party support. They can watch Nintendo squirm for an audience while building a marketing drive and convince gamers to wait around a little bit longer for their eighth generation appearance.

Bottom Line: Don’t take any of my dates as fact, but I predict that depending on what the WiiU does this holiday season determines the set date of the competitors. You are foolish if you think Sony and Microsoft don’t have the next machine in the backburner, waiting patiently to be unleashed. Arguably one of the most important holiday seasons in a business standpoint for the gaming industry, the WiiU will set out to see if the world of gaming still has some life in it and if Nintendo can repeat the mammoth starter success of the Wii---which led to them winning the Seventh Generation war. Only time will tell of Nintendo’s success---and when we will see the other new systems.

The Legend of Sony's Patience

So there is a recent news story discussing how Sony is going to pick the wait-and-see method for annoucing their involvement in the next generation. They aren’t going to mention the PS4 until after Microsoft announces their successor. There has been a lot of speculation as to why Sony is deciding to reveal their stuff last. Some claim its to plagiarize easier, some claim that it will be easier for Sony to copy the competition by seeing what they are going to deliver. Sony has always been notorious for this, with the abysmal Playstation Move controller as a great example. The truth is however Sony works best when they are checking the pulse on gaming as opposed to trying to set the trend.

Even back in the 90s before the Playstation, Sony's wait-and-see game resulted in their first system obliterating the competiton. They saw the Nintendo's core audience was from 6-14 so they created a marketing campaign that would explore a new generation and cluster of gamers. The 18-34 crowd was thirsty for a system that would appeal to them, and that Playstation became that dream come true. For the record, the Playstation had been in construction since the late 80s---back when Nintendo and Sony were going to work together-----before all hell broke loose.

Sony didn't rush their Playstation 2 release either, as they waited for the Dreamcast to arrive and shoot themselves in the foot with an awkward release, lack of software, and a poor launch. The PS2 winds up becoming the most successful console in the history of gaming. But recently they tried to set the the trend of gaming and the end result was disappointment.

Surely the Playstation 3 arrived and predicted that Blu-Ray would be the future, but did not bank on everyone abandoning Sony and joining Nintendo. Nintendo copied Sony's strategy of the 90s and expanded the gaming audience even farther---from younglings under 7 to people in their 80s. The Nintendo Wii became the best-selling system for retirement homes in history. If Sony had waited a little longer and dropped the price and prepared a better helping of games they would have had a much better start and to this day not try to climb out of third place. And do recall the Playstation has free online service and also has a better helping of first/second-party titles than the 2nd place Xbox 360.

So now we have come to today. The Playstation 3 lifespan consisted of making big mistakes and learning from them. Sony would follow others by crafting several price cuts, cranking up the first-party library of games now that the third-party playing field is about even (Nintendo is closer than ever with the WiiU approaching), and most importantly making the games a bit more interactive by introducing a controller that resembles a goofier-looking Wiimote. Love or hate it, the Playstation Move has pushed good sales for the PS3. And with Nintendo poised to push gaming into another direction, Sony's decision to wait and see what happens next is very vital.

Why? Rumors are swirling that the XBox 720 might have a tablet controller similar to that of the WiiU. So if it is revealed to be true, Sony could then choose where the PS4 would go: continuing the low-key simpler approach of the PS3 or attempt to innovate similar to what the WiiU is destined to do. If Sony waits, then the ball will be in their court and they can decide how to return the serve. Some call it cheap, some call it copying; I call it a system that has helped Sony in the past, and should help them out in the near future.

Sony is going to wait? Let them wait, it will make the upcoming battle that much more interesting.

E3 2012: The Mandatory Appearance

With the 3DS exploding in sales, the Wii still owning the currently top-selling video game in the world (Yes its Just Dance 3, but they still own it), the PSVita getting its arse kicked by its own predecessor, and the WiiU literally right around the corner and a few months away, Nintendo is enjoying the beginning of 2012. We had just come off a year of Zelda which gave us 6 video games, including the first fully motion-controlled entry with Skyward Sword. We have just come off a year in which Mario Kart Wii raced past 30 million copies sold, while the latest installment is quietly sneaking in 4 million sales in about a month. And we have just come off a year in which although the Wii has lost all its tender love and care from the company, they are still bringing in some decent sales. Even Skyward Sword under a muddled ad campaign and a poor release date choice has sold nearly 3 million copies.

The Wii owns 43% of the market, and that’s after the fact that the XBox 360 and PS3 delivered some of the strongest games in the past 15 years in 2011. Even after Skyrim (Well, the XBox version), Little Big Planet 2, Uncharted 3, Batman Arkham City, Portal 2, FIFA Soccer 2012, NBA 2K12, Forza 4, etc., Nintendo and its much smaller library of games still dished out decent sales. There is no stopping Nintendo whether you like it or not. If you have any chance of killing the momentum, E3 is the place to do it.

There have been reports that the next-gen XBox and Playstation will be unveiled this year. And then there were reports countering that news story. The truth is this is the first E3 since the late Sixth Generation (PS2/XBox/Gamecube era for those keeping track) which pretty much demands a good show, pretty much demands your 100% effort. In other words, it’s much more crucial to win on this E3 show, or at least be damn close. Nintendo’s WiiU is pretty much destined to steal the show and deliver. Not sure if you guys know this, but the WiiU comes out this very year, right after the summer. Now we know that Nintendo has a sketchy history in presenting their hardware, but do any of you honestly believe that Nintendo will drop the ball on their first HD system? Just the potential is enough to make us salivate. Thinking about F-Zero HD or Zelda HD is increasing my heart rate.


How can you possibly counter a next-generation system? With current-generation games? I’m sorry, no matter how excited we might seem for Halo 4 or that Metal Gear Solid XBox 360 game that for some odd reason still hasn’t come out, a brand new system with HD, a new unique take on gaming, and uncanny parallels to the Sega Dreamcast is going to have all the attention. Why in the heck would you not at least dish out some fun tidbits or fun little details about the upcoming system that you will eventually release? Sony and Microsoft are foolish in not even attempting to throw any kind of monkey wrench in the system. Nintendo’s momentum is heavy and will wipe away the E3 clean unless a competitor steps up and stands toe-to-toe with the current leader in the industry.

Bottom Line: For the sake of competition and for the sake of Nintendo not running away with all of 2012 with the 3DS and eventual WiiU launch, Microsoft and/or Sony needs to start teasing about its next generation of games. The XBox 360 and PS3 were fantastic systems don’t get me wrong, but if your competitor is heading up the next step in the ladder, you have to do the same—or at least peek at the next step. An XBox 360 title will not hold a candle to a potential Zelda, Mario, or even Smash Brothers HD. This E3 is crucial, and is the best opportunity to provide the necessary counter. If we don’t see XBox 720 or PS4 this year, it might be too late in late 2012/2013 when the WiiU is the only one in the field, raking up all the potential sales.









Or they can always pray that the WiiU becomes the next Dreamcast.........