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.

Playstation 4 me

I recently gave in to my inner child and became the owner of the PlayStation 4. I walked into the store, chose two games, that online pass, dipped deep into my pocket paid and left. Set it up to my TV relegating the ps3 to the second port and got under way. Since then it’s been around a month, so I thought I would share my experience, and maybe help you to make a decision on if you should fork out your hard earned pounds.

An accurate representation of how the deal went down

Pretty, pretty

In my opinion there is quite a difference in the graphical quality of the games. I was massively sceptical before I took the plunge as to how much better the graphics could really be and I have to say, based on the early games I’m pretty impressed.

Games so pretty, you no longer need eyes

The screen shot comparisons do not do justice just how pretty things looks, how smooth they play just how good they feel. The jump from 720 – 1080 can be seen and all in all the games I have played look great and I am excited to see what Watch Dogs will look like, But I will be more interested in the re-mastering of the Last of Us a game which went to great lengths to look amazing on the PS3. I do hope there is more to it than the Tomb Raider update of slightly more hairier hair….

Tyrone Biggums gets it

Beauty is only skin Deep.. yeah yeah yeah 

Game play wise, games to certainly seem smoother and faster. I haven’t experienced any lagging, jumping or any other unpleasantness while playing infamous Second son even with powers galore shooting around the screen like sonic on speed.

Games start up quicker than on the PS3 which is nice for a quick game of anything, and would probably be even faster if I used the stand by feature… Which I don’t because… I… I don’t know I just turn things off. In reality though it won’t feel all too different than the PS3. The controller feels odd at first, with its narrower grip and that strange smooth touch pad but you get used to it. You will however hit share when you want select I can Guarantee that.

R.I.P the simple select button

PlayStation Plus..you
If you are or were a PlayStation 3 kinda person you were no doubt quite happy that online for us was born free and were shocked and disappointed with the news that we would have to pay for the online services by way of the PS+ Subscription. I was.

But, I’m slowly coming around to the Idea that it might just have been the icing on the cake. Without the PS4 I wouldn’t have purchase a PS plus subscription I just didn’t see the point but since it was thrust upon me I have had the privilege of free games. And not bad games either, good games, games I was happy to play. Tomb raider, Payday2, Sly Racoon, Uncharted 3 and Bio shock Infinite…all for free as part of the subscription with new games every month.. Much Excite

is nice

Granted with every silver lining is a brown turdy one. These games are on the PS3, so I have been moved away from my PS4 onto my PS3 by the addition of Free-ish content. But it does give hope for what the PS4 may soon bring to the table

Bobby

All in all I am Very happy with my purchase. Yes it was a lot of money and yes there are like 3 games. But it’s an investment in something I hope to have for many years. Hopefully. So if you’re on the fence, un sure what to do I say this. If you have the Money, and spending it won’t hurt you too much then take the plunge, enjoy what’s out there and grow with the console, keep your PS3 ( if you have one ) and Take advantage of the PS+ and all in all just have a good time.

This guy had a good time on his D**k

 

 

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.

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.

EA online – you shall not Pass

Thanks Gandalf you grey wizard you

A lot of the big Games companies have, over the last few years used online passes to allow people to unlock content. Online multiplayer is a main one. The things you would assume you would get with splashing out for the game in the first place especially when the multiplayer online aspect of things is heavily promoted and shoved in our faces.

Online Multiplayer look at it…LOOK AT IT

Granted yes if you buy the game new you get the pass but why should we be punished if we buy a preowned game? I still own the game, its mine all mine and  we should have access to all of the content that comes with it and not have to give more money to the publisher and feeling trapped and only being able to buy new games despite the expensive prices. Fifa is a prime example. For most people the online part is the best part sure we all want to be Messi but nothing is quite like beating your friend with a 90th minutes cheeky header. But the price doesn’t drop with age  so £40 is the price you’ll need to pay to enjoy that feeling and if you spend less on the game you had to buy the pass.Buying the game new every year is expensive and I have grown attached to my Kidneys which i would unfortunately need to sell to keep up to date.

YU-GI-OH. This is just funny

However, Recently EA have decided to get rid of there Online pass requirements. Yes! A win for gamers everywhere, sing a song dance rejoice. EA were one of the worst culprits and now perhaps  they are finally happy with making all the money they make from poorly made games.

Maybe they heard about what Xbox was doing before the rest of us and got out quick to look good like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. But they wouldn’t do that… would they? probably. It would be very harsh on gamers to hit them twice. Paying for an online pass from EA and then to Microsoft. Or maybe they care about us and really did listen to gamers being unhappy. 

‘ we’ll wait till the customers come’ EA

Hopefully the other publishers that employ the silly notion of online passes will look at EA as a forerunner and also drop the Online pass and stop restricting the content which we should get when we buy the game regardless of how we buy them.