I think we should be Exclusive

I recently read a blog post that called for the end of console exclusive games. That would be bad for the industry and so bad for us.

The Cloud raining on the console parade

Hey guys and girls. In the last couple of months we have seen the release of the latest Consoles. Both the PS4 and the Xboxone boasts Impressive specs. Graphics of the highest order and processing capability of amazing proportions. But is this the last Console release we will be getting? I think it might just be.

Farewell Consoles…Maybe..who knows look its Link.

I have talked about cloud gaming in another post but it seems to be getting serious again. As the internet improves, our speeds increase our ability to stream gets better and better and more and more people are online. The possibility of Cloud gaming is becoming more and more of a serious reality for all gamers. With the boom of Smart phones, Tablets, and smart TV’s where does a new console does fit in with a cloud hosted system? The level of graphical output or processing power wouldn’t matter as the game is being run by servers elsewhere in the world which could be updated and changed to cope with bigger and better games. allowing all devices to flex there muscles.

GADOOOSH

Imagine being able to play the latest Call of Duty or Mario anywhere (probably on the toilet) , on any device which connects to the internet, with the graphics and at the speed of a home console. Just think… that would be awesome. it may also go some way in blurring the lines between casual gamers and the hardcore. Providing options for both.

Imagine

And this ability is happening now. Back in summer 2012 Sony acquired Gaikai cloud based servers allowing for the streaming of content, and this month Sony announced that it would start its streaming of games on its PlayStation Now with the latest 2014 Sony TV’s fully supporting the service as well as the PS4. This ability to stream gaming also has a great financial benefit. Though the outlay cost Sony around $400 million dollars the returns could be far greater than that on a console, given that they will no longer have to deal with the manufacturing and distribution costs of the console.

An accurate representation of how the deal went down

There would be a chance for developers to create original and exciting new content. Firstly, being hosted digital means that the cost of production is lower, without the need for blu ray disks and Secondly the ability to utilise things such as touch screen technologies with high-end processors and graphics, allowing for a wider demographic to enjoy gaming of a higher quality and hopefully standard, ultimately making the experience for gamers more enjoyable and varied.

YAY So much fun

There of course several problems with this. As it stands Downloading a game is a timely and costly affair with many downloadable games considerable more than there physical counterparts, with far fewer deals taking place.

Has my game downloaded yet?

There is also an issue with the ability to Trade-in physical titles, especially given that some games are short or poorly made. I am sure that the Publishers could create a form of digital games trade-in perhaps where if you trade – in the download you get a percentage of your next download from that publisher. In this way the consumer feels as though they are not being ripped off and the publisher is still making money off of their new titles. And internet speed isn’t currently too great and not everyone is online. Argumentatively you could say that the majority are, but for those who are not, they will be isolated and not able to join in something they may enjoy, after all buying a console is one of cost as are the games, but a streaming services is likely to require a subscription, which on top of a higher enough quality internet bill, may prove too much for some.

Whatever side you are on our industry is going through some exciting changes and I can’t wait to see how the PlayStation TV performs and what the future holds for gamers. If it does take hold, then no matter how powerful the next generation of consoles are it wont matter, because super overlord computers some where else will be playing them on anything, anywhere… sa-weet.

Is Nintendo the New Sega?

We all have warm feelings in our belly’s when we think about Nintendo. Pokemon, Zelda, Mario…. mmm ahhh Nostalgia. We don’t have such warm Feelings for Sega.. not after the Megadrive… Saturn…Dreamcast and then death of hardware. They still make games though some Bad like Sonic some good like The total war series. Sega Failed because it Hardware  A, was terrible ( The Sega Saturn… jesus) but Mainly it was due to poor Third party support and the strength of the competition, who simplified there tools, and didn’t use gimmicks like a second screen in side the control. Using Sega as a base, lets examine Nintendo…

Out Smarted by a phone?

With the growth of the smartphone industry it was inevitable that some companies were going to feel the pinch. Camera companies need cameras that did more than photos, camcorder has  almost died a horrible wriggling death not including the professional market or those people o so retro and, games consoles needed innovation, in both its hardware and in its games.

Hipsters Everywhere

Nintendo had this with the DS. It was touch screen they had some decent exclusive games, OK third party support and was way better than the screened turd Sony would eventually put out.

They made smaller ones then bigger ones and then a 3D one and then a big 3D one and then a 2D one again that looked like a doorstop. It certainly seemed that they had one basket with so many eggs in the Easter bunny would be jealous.

happy happy eggs

The problem, for me at least was that the 3D part was a Gimmick more than a tool which added and enhanced the experience. To date only a few games have really made use of it in a decent way, with a variety of others Just having 3D because the Console can do it. Also, Again when I did play the 3DS which was in my household I would often turn off the 3D part, allowing me to actually see and play the game without having to be bolted in front of my eyes to keep it in the middle.

Now I can see in 3D…. I hate it.. turn it off Kill it with Fire

Extra’s aside I think the 3DS would have performed a lot stronger had the rise of the smartphone not taken place. As I have mentioned in a previous post the Casual gamer, a market which Nintendo Holds with a loving embrace have Migrated to playing games on the thing they already had, with more actual features, with good quality games ( some) for as little as free…. Maybe Nintendo should design a phone combining the touch screen part of the DS with a decent processor and other useful tools. Nintenphone and Nintentab.

Thanks T3 you little so n so’s

Its out of our hands

 Let’s move away from the handheld market now and look at Nintendo’s Home consoles. The Nintendo Entertainment System and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System were giants of it time. It had lots of good games, loads of support and, even the games which came out on them and their rivals the mighty Sega Master System and Mega Drive were different, unlike today.

 The SNES was popular well into the 32 bit era, with many playing it when Sony’s First baby arrived into shops (Thanks Nintendo for your part in that) Not wanting to be Outdone Nintendo Designed the N64 a console twice as powerful as the PSone but used an outdated cartridge system. This was the first Nintendo Console I owned, and for me, it was the beginning of the end. The PlayStation had so much Third party support it was a like a billionaire in a whore house, it had so many games.. so so many.

The N64 had some games, they….. were…… ok? I want to say they existed, that some’s up for me there impact much better. Aside from the ones that were made by, exclusively for or in conjunction with Nintendo ( Mario 64, The Zelda’s, Metroid and Super smash Bro) with the odd exception. This started a trend which we would continue to see in the coming Consoles from Nintendo, Cube to WII U.

Best Third Party N64 game? Third Partyish?

Also as with its handhelds it seemingly tried to differentiate itself by having quirky gimmicky features rather than gaining support from Developers. The GameCube had some fun games on it, but its big thing was that it used a little disk and look like a lunch box. The ps2 was simply a better version of the old one and whooosssshhhhhh Success. This pattern of Gimmicks over third party has continued, and though the WII’s motion controls were fun, and did well in the casual market, the third party support wasn’t great and the WII U is just silly. a screen in a control… hello Dreamcast u .

End of the line

 So, is there a place for Nintendo? Possibly. But probably as a games developer rather than a console behemoth.Yesterday Nintendo announced that instead of a 55bn Yen profit it now predicts a 25bn Yen Loss….that is quite a big, it hurts me to loose £10.

All of Nintendo

There success in the 80’s and 90’s was great and we got a lot of great games from it, hell in the early Noughties they pulled it off again with the WII and the DS, they just got it wrong with the next move forward, perhaps they could develop something new, but with the Xboxone and the PS4 out now, it would have to be something with amazing, with graphics to rival, maybe a normal control would be nice, but most importantly, Decent Third party Titles. Take the weight off of Mario.

Just look at that terrible Posture

I hope they find something because I love the Zelda Games and Nintendo as a whole really, and I hope they do it fast.

Bugs….Damn Bugs

I recently decided to delve into my pocket and fork over some hard earned cash for the Last of Us. walking home I found my self in a content mood, excited to see what this game could offer. I placed it into my Playstation and suddenly the simple hum of the fans turned into a jet engine and my Playstation sounded like it was gearing up to fly me to an exotic land. It didn’t what it did do is turn off… Fantastic ( No pun) this is the only game it does it with, running smooth even with Bioshock infinite so, it leads me to think the game has a disgusting bug something wouldn’t have got as often on a good old fashioned Nintendo.OH NO NO…

Super for so many reasons

Patch 9.01 fixing bugs given to you by patch 9

One of the main reasons old games didn’t have bugs in them is because there was no simple fix if one occurred. If Sonic had a universal bug which stopped the game, then simply they would not sell that game. Word of mouth would get out and that game would have made a terrible paper weight. To fix a bug they would have had to fix it and then reship a whole new game.

we had one bug..just one..

This of course is no longer the case. With the invention of the internet the need to be perfect is not critical. If a bug is spotted then a simple patch can be whizzed over the internet magic land and fix it for us hoorah!.. It does of course mean that you have to wait for that to be fixed… fine if its minor, like your character’s face collapsing, but if its major, like ‘I can no longer play this game so its now just a coaster’ then waiting for a patch is bothersome and costly given if just a little more time was spent on it then it could have been avoided.

Patches for all hahaha, Love the over lor.. I mean developers

Old father time is not on our side.

Another problem, comes from us as consumers and the world generally. We want things quickly, as quick as possible now isn’t quick enough we want it yesterday. so when a new game is mentioned we want, such is the rush to get it to us while we are at the peak of interest. and when that happens we get a game that is filled with bugs, errors and all kinds of problems.

Lurking in your game to ruin your day..like stepping in shit

Also to be considered is the higher level of competition that simple was not present a few years ago. There are many developers out there, creating new and intuitive concepts which if a competitor was to discover could copy, and bring to market first, making the new game not as good.

They’re looking at our ideas…GETTT THEMMM

So another rush begins, also some companies seem to be focusing onto many things at once focusing on several games at once, let us remember the words of Ron Swanson.

When the all seeing eye is spread thin problems slop through the cracks and that seems to be happening more and more often. though i do not see what has happened to naughty dog as they were focused on one game..maybe its my Playstation but all of my other games say otherwise.

Great I loose my ring and now my games have bugs.. what next my tower collapses…

There are numerous other reasons why Bugs in games occur and for the purpose of this blog have picked on just too, our want and the technology we have at our disposal have lead to a world where games that are half arsed get released. We should be using the new technology we have open to us to enhance an already great experience, not fix problems taking away from one.Also i would like to play my stupid game and this is balls. Also thanks Sony for making the playstation with poor thermal paste, I replaced that stuff and now my playstation is silent no more jetting off.. I still cant play but… I can hear again. <a href=”http://www.bloglovin.com/blog/10376481/?claim=79be79cbrdj”>Follow my blog with Bloglovin</a>

Sexy sexy games Part 1 women in games and gaming

In the world of gaming women are not held in very high regard. They are usually weak, clingy, useless individuals who need a man around to make sure they are ok, ..didums. Oh and why they are doing this they have to have their boobs bouncing around free and wild and their arse out way way out.

Equality? NO! I want boobs! and bums.. and and legs..mmm wait what was I doing?

There is a serious lack of strong female characters in games and I am not entirely sure why. In certain situations It would be refreshing to face the generic issues felt in games but from the perspective of a strong female lead, going beyond simply oi oi big man can you help me. They have an emotional spectrum a game could delve into and develop. moving beyond just shes got tits, Lets try and get them to jiggle. Games like dead or alive or Soulcalibur though they cannot perhaps have the depth of story could have concentrated more on fighting mechanics and graphics, and less on realistic boob jiggly wiggly.

Don’t Objectify me

If we take the last of us for example, The game looks like it will be great, but that is because of the story it is telling and how immersed you will become with the characters. But would the story be as great if the roles were reversed and it was a female lead looking after a boy? yes, I think so probably better, you can develop both a man’s and woman’s story on an emotional level but with the women she would have lost a child she had, making the connection stronger. And being a woman, she would face physical issues that would make the game feel different, in a great new way. And all of this possible with out the fleeting hope of some CGI Nipple. But no we men  who dominate the industry ( supposedly)  want to control a man and look at women and there in lies the problem female characters have become something for male players to look at to lust over not to understand or feel for. Even Lara croft a strong heroine was eventually just taken to.. look how realistic her boobs are now… I mean….

NOW WITH REAL GAME FACTS! G’WILIKERS

Armour? that’s like so last season

Women in games are not only set apart by the stories they are allowed to tell but also by what they are allowed to wear which nothing! woo yeah spring break yeah!!. ahem. in games where there are female characters they tend to not wear very little. The reason for this? sexy woman on things sell and men like tits and bums and the insinuation that something is sex driven. the bouncier the better.

PSP, you’re playing it wrong

it makes no sense in the game world that if I wear full metal armour I get better protection, but a metal bikini and thing does the same thing, unless every one is striking her in the boob. Now I like the female form as much as the next licensed hetero but cmon people.. they are not even real. Its  that simple.

I have this tiger but, I don’t know, I still feel a little…. exposed.. hmm ah well

Despite the fact that there are quite a few gamer girls out there who I am sure would like to control a character they could look up to… nope.. Bums for them… Bums for all. Could it be argued the males characters are there for them… hmm that will be in Part 2. While gamer girls are tthe subject I would like to point that the industry has even turned them into objects. Men are depicted as fat, cheeseball eating lonely men, and women play games in their underwear.. that might be true, I too enjoy a game in my boxers but If I had to go out on a limb? Gonna guess that most of them wear clothes.

Just look at that.. they don’t even have any chairs.. jeez

TITS TITS TITS

overall, its clear that games are made for men by men despite the large female voice in the industry. Some female characters are great, Elizabeth from bioshock infinate, Hell even Jill valentine was a heroine who didn’t have much out. Games like Dead or alive beach volley ball only serve to bring down the industry standards, it wouldn’t be ok in the world so why should be it be OK in games? Movies are bad too and Comics are

…

When the industry finally realises that women play games too and they are an important demographic and we move away from just boobs holding pads then as an industry we can grow and develop. I would like to finally point out again that I like women as much as the next red blood straight man but we shouldn’t as an industry degrade and objectify women. Lets be better than that.

Don’t mind me, I’m just casually gaming

The term casual gamer is thrown about a lot recently. with the seemingly endless boom of games on mobile devices and of course those really annoying facebok games it seems that ‘ casual’ gamers are not going to go anytime soon. they are a group that ‘ Hardcore’ gamers hate and claim are ruining the industry. But how does one become a ‘casual’ gamer and  are they harming the industry?

Hardore? No, no I’m a casual gamer wait no Hardcore..wait no.what?

so what makes someone a casual gamer and not a casual, gamer? what I mean by that is what is the difference between someone who is classed as a casual gamer and someone that simply plays games casually?. Is someone who plays games on a mobile but all the time a hardcore gamer? but someone who plays say Call of duty some of the time casual? Its a term that kind of losses its meaning when trying to define like supercalifragilisticexpialidocious or Guestimate ( Not now or ever a word).

Poppin’s bitch. Creating words, creating flying umbrellas

Lets assume its just people that play games on mobile Devices and Facebook. Games on mobile devices can be pretty good. From adaptations of Dead space to simple games like temple run Mobile devices are fun, often cheap and can be as if not more addictive as there triple A counter parts. Just because someone doesn’t play games on a console doesn’t mean that they are not hardcore gamers.When the game-boy was released no one was accused of being a casual gamer playing pokemon or Kirby so is it the thing you are playing it on or the games themselves? is it the amount of hours you put in ? I just don’t under stand!! ahhh…fdfvdVREV REvreq v

The face of hardcore gaming? or just creepy fun?…creepy

Ahem, sorry, what if i played a console game but only on occasion am i still classed as a hardcore gamer or do games have to make up more than a certain percentage of my day.

One thing i’m pretty sure on though is the majority of people who read this can agree  that facebook games are annoying beyond belief if not only for the fact that everyone needs you to be their friend in order to plant more apples pointless uselss stupid stupid apples. But many people spend a lot of time on these games investing not only many many many many hours but also in quite a few cases money. like real cash.. like c’mon people its not real fruit.

Where the fruit Ninja when you need him

They took our Industry.

what absolute rubbish! Popycock other words like that. People who play games for whatever reason can only continue to strengthen the industry becoming a hulk with out the rage or the green, giving us a strong voice to fight back against things such as games being banned for their content or for lazy parenting or terrible games as a whole. Also with a wider range of people comes a wider varity of games. The willingness to take a risk on projects because there is a chance someone will like it.

The gaming industry with every game they release

Sure it might just be a ‘casual’ game for a mobile device but it may be one of the best games you play, which may enspire someone to create something for PC or a console. In all the terrible games can drown in a see of great games… good games..ok games

its a long, long road.

Games are not long enough. This is also the view of some people on games now. ‘ it’s too easy, it’s only 10 hours, my thumbs hurt, I’m lonely’ so many complaints. The view that they are too easy and too short is one I can understand fully and is a great annoyance of mine, especially given the costs of gaming and coming from playing the likes of another word and lion king ( stupid hairy faced bastard ) on Sega Mega drive.  Development times and costs are a factor as is the needed to be first out not only to ensure that they are the first  but to meet the demand of us gamers winging about releases

Gamers waiting for Duke Nukem. Thank god.

.

Casual gaming is part of our culture now and we should embrase it a nice warm hug for casual gaming mmm. Sure, facebook games are annoying and people are frustrating but the more people play games the better the industry. What’s more, ‘casual gamer’ has no meaning and soon with the ps4 and the Xbox one perhaps we will all become more casual and more social. And with games of decent quality being cheap on phones and great quality we can now game where ever whenever with out committing to a console. Viva the casual revolution. Not social though that can still walk off Alone into the desert.

Multi-tat, The forgotten joy of single player

First things first this is aimed at games consoles, as multiplayer online games on PC were around much longer what with there ability to naturally get online and so on.

Lets start this!

More and more games are focusing on the multiplayer aspects of games and just the multiplayer aspects. Seemingly ignoring the importance of strong single player campaigns, in depth story or anything that doesn’t involve someone being a noob or blaming lag. with the new Xbox being connected to the net pretty much 24/7 and Sony investing in there own online ventures ( that strange watch your friend play thing) its likely that games are going to become more and more mulitplayer as consoles become social super hubs.Time and time again, I hear ‘ Yes the single player isnt great but the multiplayer is amazing’ and I ask.. is that enough? No is the short answer…. No 

Hey buddy check out the noob

Single console, single player

I’m going to put on my old(ish) man hat on here and go back to the 90’s days of the PlayStation and yeah, even the N64. Back to the days when to play a multiplayer game not only did you need a friend, a relative or a random homeless person next to you, you also needed ( with the playstaion at least) a multitap, taking your two slot, up to 5!. Crazy numbers, like anyone has 4 friends right ha…..ha.. oh.So most people were playing alone trying to relax, take a load off and avoiding the evil that is the outside. ( I joke I love the outside all that green and smog mmm)

Curse you outside….Curse you !!

Developers were aware of this and aside from sports or racing, games were made with the single player in mind. Games like syphon filter or resident evil were focused on the single player experience, the story, the feeling being totally into the game and not wanting it to end. in today’s gaming world however that feeling plays second fiddle to the ability to shoot other players in the groin and T-Bag them.

T – bagging like a boss

Some games in this period did do multiplayer and single player together really well, Golden Eye was amazing but the single player was great and the multiplayer was an incredible extra addition lengthening playing enjoyment, not a multiplayer game with a single player game attached. Now though Resident evil 6 has you running around with friends and the single player leaves a bitter taste in the mouth a lonely bitter taste.

Dial me up for some broadband

During the mid to late 90’s boradband started to roll out. While the PS2 tried to use extras to connect to the internet for games it wasn’t until 2005+ with the 360 and PS3 did online games really take off. Everything suddenly started to develop an online feature and for somethings it was really good. Games like fifa for example are really use the online ability well, playing against real people really add to the experiance and nothing and I mean nothing beats beating some smug guy who celebrated his first goal but is now loosing 3 nil.

Draw me like one of  your french girls

But not all games need this extra, and it should never be put in place at the cost of the single player campaign. I would go so far as to say that the best single player games we have had in the last few years have all practically ignored the multiplayer aspect of the game completely. Sure Far cry had a multiplayer element but it wasn’t sold on the basis of its multiplayer. Fallout 3 and Skyrim were both single player focused and both amazing games.

Multiplayer games are great and done right they can add to the enjoyment and give a game hours of extra life after the single player campaign has been and gone. But, a game shouldn’t be made and marketed souly on the basis of its multiplayer. If  a games single player campaign doesn’t hold up then it isn’t really a good game. A good game needs depth of story and character to engage the audience and immerse them in the story just like a book or a film, and multiplayer does not tick those boxes.