My most anticipated games of 2017 and beyond, so far.

 The new generation of consoles are now coming into their own, none of them had bad launch lineups by any means, but now we are getting into the meat and potatoes and PC just keeps on motoring. There also is a new console to look forward to for gaming of course being the Nintendo Switch coming this March, just around the corner really.
 That got me to thinking what games am I really looking forward to having the chance to play in 2017 and beyond, I was actually surprised. When I started to write them out there was a lot more then I actually realised had me really excited, granted some have no confirmed dates yet.

 So here are just a few of the games I am looking forward too in the next 12-30 months or so as always they are in no particular order. I will do my best to list all platforms and dates as of now the games will be releasing on. Do not expect to see any Call of Duty's, Battlefields or shooters really though I am looking forward to one. Outside of one of these games NONE are pre-orders my feelings on pre-orders are well documented, just DON'T do it.

Lets get this started with a game I have already played some of all be it in Japanese and that of course is Persona 5 and this is the exception to the rule  above.
 If there is one thing you should know about me by now is I am a huge RPG fan, RPG/JRPG/ARPG to SRPG's I love RPG's. From Final Fantasy Tactics and The Banner Saga, to Mass Effect and Persona.
 Persona is a series that well to be honest has never let me down I have played all of them, other then they often get delayed, but that has always proven to be a blessing. I can not think of a game series I have played in my 57 yrs on earth that has never let me down  the Persona series is the exception to the rule along with Mass Effect in so many ways. (PS4, PS3 April 4th/2017)

Hellblade what can I say I adore Ninja Theory, Heavenly Sword was the first game I bought for my PS3 and is still among my top 10 games. This game however has a serious message as it deals with Mental Illness as viewed through the eyes of a woman suffering from visions of monsters, demons and decent into darkness. You see her Psychotic world through the eyes of  (Senua) and her manifestations of her own reality and mind. I jumped out of my seat when this first appeared at Sony's 2013 E3 press conference for the debut of the PS4, as I thought it was Heavenly Sword 2, I cried. (PS4/PC sometime 2017)

 Next up I will keep it brief,  open world, interesting Female Protagonist, deep crafting system, and, oh yeah and Giant sometimes extremely violent Robot Dinosaurs, do I really need to say more. The minute this appeared on the screen at E3 it was a WTF moment for a lot of people, it was amazing, of course I am talking about Horizon: Zero Dawn oh my god I can not wait for this, the world looks amazing all I can say. (PS4 exclusive, Feb 28th/2017)

Up next a game I know very little about and to be honest have fears it may never be released, given 3 Microsoft Exclusives have been cancelled, despite being featured at E3 prominently. I fear for the game because we have heard literally nothing, and see nothing of the game since that E3 showing in 2014. Of course that is the Microsoft Exclusive Crackdown 3 despite a impressive showing at E3 showing, plus another at Gamescom 2015 we have heard nothing really. Given other games that where also given a lot of stage time like Fable, and Scalebound (both since cancelled) we know nothing (Xbox one/PC sometime 2017????)

Okay I will probably get some heat for this next one as people either love the stuff the studio does or hates it, and that is Quantic Dreams. Few Game Developers have a more polarizing leader then Quantic Dreams, he is the target of both love and Ridicule by many. I actually really like the games the studio makes, unlike many I actually really like Beyond: Two Souls, I almost have the platinum actually I liked it that much. And while it is easy to make fun of David Cages on-stage presence he has a vision and passion to all he does be it you love or hate it. Detroit: Become Human however I have heard nothing but good things and genuine excitement for the game, you can count me among those. (PS4 exclusive, scheduled 2017 sometime) I would not be surprised this one is delayed.

That brings me to the one shooter type game that I am actually genuinely excited and fearful for at the same time that is Ghost Recon:Wildlands I used to be really into shooters, CoD, Battlefield, Gears of war owned them all, so why am I fearful.
 I can sum that fear up in one word and you know what one that is developed/published by (UBISOFT) you had to know that one was coming. Ubisoft has a knack of showing one thing and what you actually get is a Ugly, buggy mess of a game. From Assassins Creed games, to Watch Dogs this company just has a habit of misrepresenting their games unlike anyone else.
 Still this game has my interest, and that is also unusual because it has a lot of MP aspects to it and I don't like gaming online. (Xbox One/PS4/PC March 7th/2017)

 Next is a PC exclusive and is the 2nd instalment in this magical world and I am talking about Divinity: Original Sin II any game that is going to carry on my story in this world I am in. It has no confirmed date that I have seen so far but is scheduled for 2017. Another PC exclusive is A hat in Time what can I say count me in "is a colorful 3D platformer inspired by classic games in the genre, such as Banjo-Kazooie and Super Mario 64" this too has no confirmed release date other then 2017.

This is a change for me as I have not looked forward to anything Nintendo for pretty much a decade however I have to say a couple I really am. The new Shin Megami Tensei game for the switch has my interest but as of yet has not date. That said there will be a new SMT game coming out this year for the 3DS and most will be getting that for sure if a fan of SMT like me.
 Also while it just looks like a re-make of the original with a cpl of tweaks Splatoon 2 looks like a ton of fun and may convince me to buy a Switch, sorry not sold on it as a few of my posts show. If Nintendo can mange to entice smaller Indie developers, that can take advantage of things the Switch offers, then the list grows even more.


Mass Effect Andromeda is not on here on purpose, sorry I am still not sold on it, though I know at some point I will buy it on PC.

That's about it, I need to see more of God Of War, it also is most likely a Holiday 2018 game, The Last of US 2 well that could turn out to be a PS5 game.

So those are just a few of the games I am looking forward to there tons I am overlooking I am sure, how about you, what games can't you just cant wait to play, share them in the comments below.

As always Play nice with each other.

David

How Nintendo can turn public opinion around on The Switch.

Can we all be honest for a minute the Nintendo Switch live event last week was to be kind real awkward and uninspiring to say the least, oh yeah uncomfortable also. I realize they where playing to their Japanese base being based in Japan, but that was down right cringe worthy for anyone outside of Japan. I speak some Japanese and even I was cringing at a lot of points of the presentation, it was Nintendo once again being weird as hell as always. As for the sentiment " Well it was directed at the Japanese press and Nintendo shareholders" yeah that worked realllll well. In a span of 3 hrs during and following the live event Nintendo stock plummeted almost 6%, yeah investors where real impressed with the event.
 I follow stocks a lot matter fact watching Bloomberg Asia as I am typing this, and can not recall last time their stock dropped that fast and much. Was not all bad the console would have limited region locking, granted no device should ever be locked to start with. However that is a step in the right direction, they also announced storage can be expanded using easily bought Sd cards, no weird format memory cards (You listening SONY) again another great choice.

  One Youtube personality I follow regularly is Jim Sterling, watching this event reminded me of a video he made a year ago or so. It was called IIRC " Everything that is wrong with Square Enix " it is not safe for work unless wearing headphones, but it was so true in it's content, same apply's to Nintendo IMHO

  Stop being so bloody weird Nintendo, do something normal for once, just be normal for godsake, weird is not working for you. Other then the Wii every iteration of your consoles have sold less and less, just be F'ing normal for once. What games they showed where fine, just the presenters my lord and that translator was all I could do to stay awake. Okay so enough ranting, sort of I offer up these ways that Nintendo can turn around Public opinion surrounding the Nintendo Switch.

Let's get started shall we!

So Nintendo chose the location and event time based on showing to Japanese Investors, and of course the media, fair enough, but did you consider the time on the East coast of the US. Now I live in the West of Canada so it was early enough for me, but to be honest at 57 I am not your target audience. The younger kids are who will bug their parents for that Mario Game, or Arms, not me not their parents in some cases. You held the event not only at 11pm ET but on a Thursday night to boot, a School night for heaven sake. I have dual time zones on my PC and my watch, one is set to Vancouver the other to Osaka where I visit as often as possible. You could have easily held the event 3 hrs earlier and still had the press and investors ear, it would have been 10am JST 8pm EST.

 Your largest market in combined sales is not Japan so keep that in mind for the future, other things came out the same night and the following days.

1) The Switch will ship with no Netflix support at launch, are you freaking kidding me, even the Vita and 3DS has a Netflix app. Now this could be a temporary thing, but if you google around Netflix has said they have no plans at present to support it
 Come on Nintendo get on it this is 2017, not 1997 get with the times. Regardless what some people de-cry about consoles are for gaming not for media watching, millions do. 85+ million people subscribe to Netflix in more countries then I can remember., your device has no UHD or Blu-Ray drive even and people watch movies, animes and tv on their consoles daily. 
 Now this is not Nintendo's fault for there being no app, apps you use like Hulu, Youtube, Amazon Video etc are created by the respective companies. That said they are not going to invest the time and money to make those apps if they do not think it will be used due to low sales numbers of a device. Nintendo your a Billion Dollar company open the damn wallet a TINY bit and tell Netflix, Hulu the like we want your apps on our device at launch and we will help fund the development.

2) One game a month if you pay for their online service, and not only is it a NES or SNES game but you don't even get to keep it. Once your month is up regardless if you payed for a years subscription the game leaves your library. You can not be serious, even Sony with it's PS+ service which has been criticized for removing your free games if you quit PS+ allows you to keep them so long as you are a member. On Xbox Live which is the same price as your service you get your free games every month it is yours for life, regardless you stay a Gold member or not, get with the times Nintendo.

3) You need to somehow re-work the pricing on your peripherals, $70USD for the pro controller is insane that is close to $90+ CDN, unacceptable. The Joy-Cons are even worse, you promote it as the couch co-op family gaming system but Joy-cons are $80USD, your out of your mind. You could end up spending $300 for 4 controller for the family, and don't give me you can play with them split. So sane person in their right mind are going to play with a single dinky Joy-Con and enjoy it.

4) Just hold normal events without all the goofy weird awkward moments, and don't tell me that is what fans want as thats bullshit. Yes there are some of course who do love it, they are quite vocal but it does not translate into sales. This mantra you like to spout that people buy Nintendo consoles to play Nintendo games is utter rubbish. If this was the case then the Wii U would be a runaway success selling 80 million units + as Nintendo games was all it had for the most part.

5) Improve your relationships with those who create media such as Twitch Streamers and YouTube creators, you know the people trying to help you sell your products. Your draconian enforcement of copyright strikes and claiming all revenue from those creators unless they give you 80% of it is beyond redemption.
 Those people have millions of subscribers in a lot of cases like Boogie2988, Angry Joe and others to numerous to mention, YOU NEED TO STOP THIS CRAP. Oh and before anyone says anything, I do not make You Tube videos, nor do I monetize this blog though I have the option, I am grateful  if even one person finds my blog and posts entertaining, enlightening or down right amusing.

With that I will end it those are just 5 ideas I have to help Nintendo turn around a lot of the bad press/comments regarding The Switch.

If hope you enjoyed my take and suggestions, by all means you have Ideas what Nintendo can do to turn it around share them in the comments.
 Till next time as always play nice with each other.

David

Something every gamer has been asked at least once

You know you have been asked this.

I am pretty sure at some point in your life you have been asked the question, if stranded on a Island, what three games would you choose to take with you? As I am almost 57 now I have been asked it more times then I could possibly count over the years, it is something that always will come up at some point.

Now I decided to do this post because of watching a Video on Youtube, by one of my favorite You-tubers Metal Jesus Rocks. You can view his video here Metal Jesus Video so now that I shared the inspiration for the post, guess I should answer the question.

The ground rules before anything

So obviously we are going to take a few liberty's on this, otherwise the question itself is fruitless endeavor so here we go. 

1. We magically get stranded yet have our 3 games and devices needed to play them
2. Just like in MJR's video we magically have electricity to power our devices, however we do not have a modem, so no MMO games. So no Starcraft, no World of Warcraft, or in my case no Final Fantasy XI or XIV :(
3. Unlike his I will not cheat so no compilation disks, or collections allowed the games have to be a single title, so no Metal Gear Solid collection, etc.

So with all that laid out and out of the way I present " My 3 picks for games I would want with me "

1. My first pick is a game I have never beaten it just is so expansive and that choice is " The Witcher 3 " what can I say it is so massive in scope and story. I could have chosen Skyrim however truth be told I don't really like Skyrim all that much, even with mods. I know I am in the minority when it comes to Skyrim I own it on PC but just never clicked with me for whatever reason.
2. Now I am sure a lot of people would like many others have Grand Theft Auto 5 here, and it would be a worthy choice like it was for MJR, however I never got into GTA. Only GTA game I ever played was Tales from Liberty City, and for me it was meh, maybe it is a age thing but it just never resonated with me. Now again like with my feelings on Skyrim I am REALLLLLY in the minority on my feelings when it comes to the GTA series. You can make yourself go cross-eyed if you where to look at the lifetime sales of all the GTA games, both number sold and money for Take-Two, both figures are staggering. Just to give you an idea as of February 2016 GTA 5 alone has sold over 65 million copys, I am not even sure if that includes digital sales. However despite all of that the series never got it's hooks in me, for me my second game is Final Fantasy III on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System ( SNES ) It also released as Final Fantasy VI on the original PlayStation, but it has been released on so many devices. Since at the time I had a SNES I will choose that version over the PlayStation or Gameboy edition. Though truth be told you will not make a bad choice whatever platform you choose to play it on.
3. If you follow me on Twitter, or Google + then my third choice will come as no surprise though it was a tough choice between another game which will be in Honorable Mentions. However my third choice is a game from the PS Vita library and the powerhouse Atlus, and that is Persona 4 Golden. I am sure those who know me saw this one coming, what can I say about this game that has not been said a 1000 times before. It for me is quite simply a Masterpiece of Game Design, World Building and storytelling. The characters back stories are well flushed out,  the summons are amazing to watch,, the game to me is perfection personified, now before anyone says anything. I KNOW Persona 4 Golden is a remake of the original Persona 4 which was on the PlayStation 2, however it is more then that. There a new quests added, new dialog options and story content that is not in the Original it is it's own game IMHO. However if I was to be stuck with the original for PS2 I would be just as happy, like with The Witcher 3 it has so many quests and choices to make you can re-play it for years.

So there you have it my 3 games in no particular order that if I was stranded on a deserted Island, I would want to have with me, there are so many others that I would be almost as satisfied with. So with that let me give some Honorable Mentions.

1. Crisis Core for the PSP for me at least it is the best game to ever grace the console, I am in the minority on that one but this is my list :)
2. Skies of Arcadia on the GameCube I played that game to death when it released, and would be over joyed to go back and do it all over again.
3. Ni No Kuni on the PS3 what can I say a challenging, magical world and characters, plus the artwork is pure Studio Ghibli what is not to love. 

Those are just three that if I had to substitute a game above for I would have no problem doing so, again my three games I would have to have are not a ranking. I just listed them in a random order.

So now that you know my three what would be your three games you would just have to have with you, feel free to comment below your picks.

Until next time as always Play nice with each other.

David

My thoughts on the Nintendo switch Event

Ohhhhhhhhhh Nintendo what has become of you.

I had such high hopes for the new console, but again ya just had to shoot yourself in the foot as you seem to love to do of late. I am going to start with a positive, there was no Muppets this time, but seriously the release date, was unexpected. I don't think anyone had thought it would be but a mere 7 weeks or so from now. I honestly thought it would be later then that (it should have been later) but I will touch on that point later, so was a surprise the date for me at least and many on Twitter. 

 Another positive in theory they did have some third party devs appear on stage with them which I am hopeful will come to something in the coming year. That said though we all know this also happened when the Wii U was announced and we all know how that turned out. None of them committed to more then 1 game at this time for the most part, nor did they have any release dates. Another disconcerting thing was the fact most of the games will already have been out for over 1-2 yrs on other platforms. In the case of Skyrim it is a triple whammy as I see it, not only is it not the new remastered Skyrim, it had no release date and on top of that the game has been out for over 6 yrs. 

I will addresse the fact a lot of friends saying " Yeah but you can play it on a portable device " Do you really want to play a game like Skyrim a massive sweeping epic game, known for it's panoramic vistas, huge modding community on sub 7" screen at 720p tops?  It will have no mod support Nintendo I can not see allowing that to ever happen.

 Ubisoft bringing Rayman legends thats cool and all but again it is over 3yrs old, now had it been a new Rayman game or a exclusive one then you have something. They announced a new Xenoblade game, all I can say is it better have a lot more content and be a hell of a lot more fun then the first one.

One highlight for many and I can see being a huge hit for them again is Splatoon 2, I can see that doing very well. The first game was a great hit for them and real popular with Twitch streamers and youtuber's. EA all they brought was FIFA like seriously, no PvZ, No Mass Effect, No Star Wars, FIFA???? Fifa while a hugely popular game there is no way I would play it with those joke Joy-Con controllers, which brings me to another point. What are you thinking Nintendo $80USD for a extra pair of controllers, $70USD for a Switch Pro controller, are you insane? or you just like pissing people off.

The emphasis on gimmicks like Motion control AGAIN!!!!! damn it Nintendo did you learn nothing from Xbox Kinects complete failure. People are not interested in Motion control anything unless it has to do with VR. Microsoft and others have tried to make it a thing and it just does not resonate with majority of gamers, enough with the damn gimmicks.

In the spirit of not turning this into a a novel will touch on just a cpl of more points, writing is difficult for me since my stroke.

Two of the big things where of course the new Legend of Zelda game, and a New Mario game, both fans have been itching for. I am going to come right out and say it No Mario Game at Launch is Unforgivable   Having it in Christmas 2017 there is no excuse what so ever. On top of that who knows if it will release then, games are delayed all the time, and with no date who knows. 

 The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild looked beautiful, all be it empty, but that maybe on purpose. I am sure they will host a launch day event and show it being far more alive, and it launches same day as the Switch. That also is the same day it releases for the Wii U, so in a sense you don't have a huge motivation as a parent o buy the Switch just because of Zelda. In Canada the Switch is a $400 console, if my kid already had a Wii U hell with buying it for the Switch just for one game. I'm sorry I know I won't be buying one day one I will just play it on my Friends Wii U.

Now as to the price, I am not shocked by it, I think it is a little high to be honest but it is not insane and is the high-end of expectations. The problem it is going to run into it is more expensive then either the PS4 or the Xbox one, systems which are far more powerful, with a full library. Not to mention the fact in 2017 Microsoft will be releasing the Scorpio which is understood to play all current Xbox one games. Sony will also be releasing Horizon Zero Dawn, probably God of War, The Last Of Us 2, huge sellers. On top of that they will all also have new Call of Duty games, probably Star Wars games, Battlefield game or expansions, plus FIFA, NHL, Madden and NBA2K games.

 Last but not least the perephrial costs, Nintendo is out of their mind with them if most sane people will pay $70 for a Switch Pro Controller, supposedly the Wii U one wont work with Switch. The device only has 32GB of storage most new games install is 40-50GBs including patches. Yes it supports SD cards but again your asking me to pay more for your device then a PS4 with 500GB of storage. If you want to do couch co-op a spare pair of joy-cons are $80USD are you F'ing insane.

 In the spirit if brevity I will not even go into the whole online service, need to use a smart device app to chat fiasco.

I really hope my feelings are dead wrong, I want Nintendo to succeed, more competition in the marketplace is a good thing for the consumer.  For whatever reason Nintendo the past 5yrs gives me little to nothing to love about them, they are lost and I pray they find their way. Otherwise this is most likely their last console, and will become a Sega and just make games for everyone else. I would not be upset if that came to pass but would be a sorry end to one of the great innovators in gaming.

 As always these are just my feelings and thoughts, I look forward to you sharing your own take on it all, and as I always close.

Play Nice together

David

Don't be so dismissive of Cloud coming to Super Smash Brothers

So a lot of people are laughing on Twitter and the like about the ending to the Nintendo Direct today, Cloud in SSB what a joke. Do not be so dismissive of it and here is why, granted call it my conspiracy theory but here goes.

When a Platform owner is making a new console and we all know NX is coming, Nintendo themselves said we will talk about it at E3 2016. I am not going to get into the rumours Nintendo has already started manufacturing them and is just waiting to release it, not going to happen. Events like that have months and months of leadup promotion etc, but here is where my conspiracy comes in.

 Long before they are  showcased and announced they give large Developers and publishers prototype kits of what they are thinking will be the final product. This is to allow devs to get hands on with the new console and see if they can program for it. It may not be set in stone but all the main guts of their new device are in place, and devs are free to create.  Final Fantasy for the longest time since VII has been associated with Playstation, yes there is now PC ports etc, but people assc it with Playstation.

 Now I can not see them abandoning that tradition anytime soon, they have benefited to much from that partnership. How about this though, they do have a NX prototype and said yeah we can work with this. Let's do something with Wii U to get interest back in Final Fantasy on Nintendo and we will make games for your NX. Not exclusive but yeah we will support your new console with games and content, and who knows the odd exclusive game for it.

 I do not think that announcement was just thrown in to fill out the Direct I think there is something brewing in the background none of us has a clue about.

Say I watched the X-files to much or should stop watching A&E but I think there maybe more to this than meets the eye.

I will leave you as always, Play nice with each other

David 

Havok and Microsoft buying them out, my thoughts on the issue

So Microsoft just announced they have bought the rights/company Havok for those who do not know what is Havok I shall tell you. Havok is a tool for 3D physics engines, animations suite, and destructible environments. It has other uses in Modelling and the like but is best known to most of us being used in Video Games. Microsoft also paid a pretty penny for it, $500 or so Million USD's, that's right just over half a billion  $$$$USD they paid. It has a long and proud past. Games even 10+ yrs old have used the HAVOK tool chest to make some of the most beloved games.

 Halo has Havok in it, as have many, many other back to the PS2 era even featured it's logo in the opening credits. Call of Duty, Destiny, Assasins Creed to name a few all use assets from what Intel created and called Havok. Impressive pedigree to say the least, and the list goes on even back to the Gamecube era.
 So why the uproar that Microsoft bought the entity from Intel, I for one can not figure out why other then some people just hate the free market and or Microsoft I get it.. While it seems Microsoft is taking the brunt of this hate because " Now they will hog it, and no games can use it except Xbox games. " That is the most ridiculous shite I have ever read next to Minecraft is dead.

 A little basic logic people if you please, nobody and I mean no matter how rich spends 1/2 a Billion dollars on something just to not make money of it. In the case of Minecraft Microsoft paid a Billion plus to acquire it and the same diatribe went around back then. You don't pay a Billion USD's plus for a property just to not be able to make money off it, it is poor business and if there's one thing Microsoft understands is Business. 
 Consumer privacy and rights that's another topic but they know the market very well thank you. I would go so far as to say giving customers what they ask for is not a strong suit of theirs, unless dragged Kicking and Screaming. When it comes to dollars and making a return on their investment they do that extremely well, exactly as they should they are a business for F's sake.

 Do I see the logic behind the purchase somewhat it is a widely used Physics engine in a ton of popular games. Minecraft I totally understood it is a license to print money, just search facebook or youtube, etc and use the term Minecraft you will be drowned. There is over a 100,000,00 pages, channels etc dedicated to it on Youtube alone some with millions of pageviews, I can see why they bought it I had the dollars I would have too, it is a no lose purchase. 

 Now is Havok the only option to Sony, Nintendo, small Indie developers.... hell no, or whoever is buggered, not it is not there is an alternative in Nvidia's PhysX, I am sure there is others I just know PhysX. So for Microsoft to be buttheads with their ownership of Havok is not in their best interest, it would be shooting themselves in the foot. Much like with their acquisition of Mojang and the Minecraft IP, this purchase also will not dictate Microsoft only devices, they have said as much themselves.

 This is why I think the vitriol on twitter, and reddit etc is just baseless bullcrap, written by people who just hate X whatever X maybe, you can fill in the X for yourselves. You do not spend in the past year ( it ain't over yet ) $1.5+ Billion USD' making acquisitions to lock it off from the rest of the industry, it's just bad management and fiscal planning to do it.

So just stifle your ranting and raving, most of all save the rest of us having to read your vitriol and look at the big picture and think before you type, HAVOK is going nowhere it will be used by all.


As always I will sign-off saying Be nice to each other

David

If you wish to follow me on Twitter the link is at the top of the page as well as Facebook, have a great weekend all

My thoughts E3 2015 Pt:2

My thoughts on E3 2015 continued.

So now we will continue with some of the other shows that made up this E3, not all of them because frankly I could not watch everything that took place.

Nintendo

Oh Nintendo what the hell happened to you, I am going to be honest I could not even watch their event after Xenoblade Chronicles, it was just to painful for this guy. As with my previous part 1 impressions I will start with the good, then the bad this will be brief I assure you.

 Super Mario Maker looked bloody awesome, it is not a console seller but it like previous versions looks a ton of fun. The tie in with Skylanders is huge win for them, not my cup of tea or demographic it was aimed at but still a big deal. Starfox of course was a real focus and well let's be honest, people have wanted a new StarFox game for a long time so it is understandable why it was first. That's about it for me I am serious that event was a bloody mess and a bad joke. 

 Now I am far from the only person who could not watch the implosion that was Nintendo's event this year. Hundreds of Youtube Nintendo fans, Twitter and everything else exploded after the event and not in a good way, they were all saying the same thing " WTF was that " 

 For me the thought going through my mind was " This is akin to watching your BF since jr high, slowly drink themselves to death, and there is nothing you can do to stop them " Nintendo the company that once saved Video Gaming is now in a lot of gamers eyes and media and bloody joke.  

 You spent almost 25 mins of a slightly over 1hr event doing Muppet skits, and Starfox, seriously you think thats what people want to see. Nobody cares what the inspiration a particular Temple entrance had in the game, show the bloody game and move on. All other shows showed more games in 25 minutes then you managed in just over a hour, and if you don't think Wii U is dead you should now. 

 The majority of games they showed where for the 3DS, and what games where for the Wii U are not system sellers. A Starfox game that once again they insist on using Gimmick controls with the pad, give people a game with a proper pro controller, not perhaps patched in later. 

Okay you did not want to show or talk about NX I get it, but to not have the New Zelda game atleast show it even if a trailer, seriously? Also what the hell is with Zelda Tri-Force Heroes not having the ability to play as a female, and almost being proud of it. metroid Prime Federation Force and it is a 3DS game, did a single Metroid fan ask for that, what's that you say you hear your echo. Yeah it was the sound made by every Metroid fan that has been asking for ages to make a new proper Metroid game for the Wii U.

  What the hell was with showing a trailer that every word was is Japanese and the text this is E3 not Tokyo game Show. I won't even state how disinterested I am in that game, SMT game usually I am all bloody ears but that I could make no sense of, Vocaloid game, dance simulator, High school XD dating sim WTF?

  You really need to knock it out of the park next year at E3 with NX or get out of the home console business if you insist on Gimmicks and underpowered consoles. 3Ds is gold it really is despite most do not turn the 3D on, and guess what it has no gimmicks to it, just a great handheld system with a solid game library.  Loose the gimmicks and motion crap, tablet stuff, build a solid powerful console that at the very least matches current gen consoles, and a PROPER controller and you will be back in the game.

EA, Ubisoft, Square, etc

 Lets start with EA I am going to cut to the chase real quick and sum it up in one word. " SPORTS " sports and more F'ing sports. a 1hr 15 minute or so conference and over 40+ minutes was nothing but Hoop guy, Pele, and well more Sports. Look I love pele as much as anyone being 55 I remember him playing live here in North america, but really? 20 mins plus. EA spent about 11 mins of their entire show on Star Wars the game 90% of the people where there to see and be wow'd granted it was great to see but far to short. They spent almost as much time talking about a expansion to Old republic game, a game I will admit I did not see coming, but not what most tuned in for.

  Mirror's Edge was the other thing I myself tuned in for and was not dissapointed, Feb 23rd 2016 release date shown, gameplay captured in-engine I was happy. Mass Effect still no opinion on it, till I see proper extended live gameplay i don't care, even being a huge fan of the series we want GAMEPLAY. Oh an by the way EA saying you are introducing 3 new Ip's and they are Plants vs Zombies, another Need for Speed game is not new IP.  Overall I was not impressed this year by EA despite having a cpl of games I was looking forward to, 40+ mins of sports just turned me off completely.

 Now onto Ubisoft who I thought actually had a good show, well paced, I like Alisha be she really a gamer or not as some say, she has a lot of energy and keeps things moving which I like. There was a few things that caught me off guard and that was awesome. Lead off your show with a new South Park game, I did not see that coming and I think few did see it coming. Having Trey and Matt at the show another big + and was a great way to start the show, I also liked they acknowledged somewhat all the screw ups and fans complaints from last year.

 The Division some complained " It looks downgraded like watch Dogs did before it " Ya know what actually I will have something to say in part 3 on that most will not like it however. Trackmania a game a lot of PC gamers have enjoyed will finally make its way to consoles. I did not see that coming either, much like Ghost recon : Wildlands which I have to say intrigues me, not as much as Recore and Horizon: Zero Dawn but still. I won't get into the new AC game other then it has me intrigued  I will in part 3 though what stood out in it, other then that not a lot to mention other than " For Honor " which kind of reminds me of a Chivalry Clone just with better graphics. Expansion packs to  The Crew not surprising, the Trials Fusion one not into it, other than the Trials the game itself which I masochistically adore , so all in all I  thought Ubisoft did well.

 Now for Square Enix Oooooooohh my god where to start and not in a  good way unfortunately, I really have no idea what they were thinking my lord what a mess. I really felt bad for them in some ways because they really looked like a fish out of water, mostly because they are so much so a Japanese centric company, not because of the games they showed. They had decent franchises to show they own Deus Ex, Tomb Raider, Hitman, and Final Fantasy VII remake to name a few all of which they showed. 
 The problem was a lot of the speaking guests could not speak English, and their translator went missing on occasion. Also a lot of the ones they did have looked very uncomfortable, you could tell they were completely out of their element and had been forced to attend. A lot of the games they showed had already been shown the previous day at Sony's, Microsoft's, and Nintendo's" events so what was the purpose. This was really a un-needed presser it really was and made them look in the eyes of some as amateurs , but was not a good impression outside of the game trailers.

 So that is it for part 2 I don't want to make a 200 page post so will end it here for now. To all my American readers I wish a Happy and Safe 4th of July weekend.

As always : Play nice with each other, it's only a game.

David

Why no E3 reaction

I explained why on my Google + page which I post to daily you can read why Here
I will before week's end post my thoughts on who won etc, you maybe surprised, actually I know you will.

Why handhelds matter, and you should own one!!!!

A pretty broad topic I know but indulge me.

 Anyone who know's me is aware I just adore the HyperDimension Neptunia series of games, they are a guilty pleasure of mine though I probably should wash my eyes after all being 55yrs old. They are just over the top, hysterical games with great Voice acting, NOW A DAYS it was not always the case.

 If you're not familiar with them, they are a series of games where you play as a Goddess based on the platforms of the 7th generation time but not always, the games are loosely based on the Console Wars. That in and of itself should tell you how over the top these series of games are.
 You typically play as Neptunia in the early games, Neptunia herself is named after the never launched Sega Neptune, shame really I love adding classic consoles but such is life. If you wish to know what the Sega Neptune could have been just use google, better then me re-typing it all.

So how does this relate to the topic at hand, well I will be blunt Hyperdimension Neptunia was first released on the PS3, and well to be generous it sucked. The controls were sloppy, the music was atrocious, it had awful framerate issues, and that's just the start. Now some might argue yeah well it is a Japanese centric game so of course we hate it, it was not well received there either for the most part. It had a interesting premise but lacked execution, awful story, etc, etc which is not uncommon in a lot of video games.

 Now to the point of handhelds and why they can make a huge difference in a games legacy or infamy.

I will offer up two different types of games, one of course is HDN the other Persona 4, bear with me.

HDN the original ps3 release got awful reviews really almost worldwide other than Japan, they liked it a tad more than others not by much though, Persona 4 on the PS2 got very good reviews as most in the Shin Megami Tensei have, it has now reached almost legendary status.
  Persona 4 has so many spin offs even a dancing/rhythm game, HDN got a remake like Persona 4 even a game dedicated to one character Goddess Black Heart Noire ( see where I am going ) Both where for the Vita, sorry I just don't play enough Nintendo games to make a informed comparison, I am sure they exist though on a per-game level on them as well.

Persona 4 for many a gamer did not reach Legendary status till Persona 4 Golden which is a PS Vita exclusive, some had never even heard of the SMT/Persona games before. Perhaps they are too young to know the legacy of the series, or just never had a PS1/PS2 or Nintendo device. If you were to post " What are must have games for my Playstation consoles including Vita, I can pretty much assure you Persona 4 Golden would be way up the list. So much so that for a lot of us RPG fans the most anticipated JRPG/RPG of 2015 is not the Witcher 3, but Persona 5, ( bring on TGS :) )

Now back to HDN the first game, that well quite frankly intrigued some but got awful reviews from sites and gamers a like. Enter HyperDimension Neptunia Re:BIRTH 1 A remake of the same game premise, but some revamped music, a more grounded storyline and a Vita release.
Now it gets great reviews from IGN, GameSpot, Famitsu, and others, yet is the same game premise and in a lot of places the same story. They added proper Voice acting, better framerates, <Go Figure > all on a portable device, makes ya wonder how they could not on a dedicated home console. Simple matter is though it saved the series, there is now so many HDN games even on PC yet would probably never have, okay lets be honest " NEVER WOULD HAVE " happened if not for a handheld.

 Two totally different games, from different legacies yet for most of today's young gamers it is dedicated Handheld devices that made them mainstream. I could have delved into my love for the PSP but would take forever to express my love for the games library and adoration I have for the device. Not to mention the list of games I would use would have been 200 long not just 2 :)

Your thoughts, opinions all are welcome so long as your respectful.

As always  " Be nice to each other, it's only a game "

David
PS: No Device has more Confirmed announced exclusives then Vita, followed by the 3DS. Need more reasons, Not saying they are all your kinda games but the numbers speak for themselves.
for Vita here is a idea. As of May 27th 2015

This needs to happen

If your going to Tweet Harada do it once only, he just will ignore if you if you spam him, he wants unique user tweets, not 1000 from one person.
We are so close to reaching the goal.

How is Sony doing it?

How is Sony doing it, one mans opinion!

So as most know Sony continues to lead the Console sales worldwide, despite the best efforts of the other console manufacturers. So just how is it they are doing it and why it is so remarkable, to be honest it goes against logic.

So let me explain my thinking on the matter, by all means feel free to share your own as well, comments are always welcome so long as they are respectful. The latest VGchartZ data  shows PS4 well quite frankly dwarfing all other consoles, keep in mind Sony announces sold not Shipped numbers, BIG Difference. I actually put the Xbox One around 14-16 million but these are the reported numbers, so we will go off the chart as they are documented.

As of March 28th 2015

  Lets try put those into perspective, Both PS4 and Xbox One (XB1) came out pretty much the same time, Wii U almost 18 months before either PS4 or Xbox One. (XB1) Quite frankly Playstation 4 is wiping the floor with all of them, and this is why it is astounding. Yes Xbox One won April 2015 but in the USA only and that's after another timed price cut/Bundled games addition. Worldwide it is getting trounced by the PS4, and it barely surpasses previous gen console sales.

Lets look at each console separately, Wii U, XB1 and PS4, one can easily make the argument other than PC, no platform has more Exclusives than Wii U. Yet both the XB1 and PS4 surpassed it's lifetime sales within a year in the case of the PS4.
 That is in spite of the Wii U having just in the past year, A new Super Smash Brothers, a New Mario Kart, Xenoblade Chronicles X, Bayonetta 2 which was exclusive to the Wii U or 3DS. So that leaves us with the PS4 and the XB1 to dissect if you will, bear with me.

By the way no device of the 3 console manufacturers has more Announced and confirmed Exclusives then PS Vita. The list is simply to long if I was to list them also, it is rather impressive, but YMMV of course.

What makes console gaming as far as preference is primarily for most gamers Console /Brand Exclusives. Example of them for those curious is things like Halo, Forza which is Xbox only, in Playstations case think Uncharted. These are games you can get no place else other then their respective platforms devices, it excludes all other platforms for the most part 99% of the time. There are the exceptions of course Ryse was promoted as a Xbox One thing yet was also on PC as was Titanfall, but watch E3 that year you would never have known it.

 So lets get into the meat of this piece " How is Sony doing it " you see the numbers that are confirmed sold not shipped.

First up the Xbox One

When it comes to Triple AAA, console exclusives between PS4, and the Xb1, they both have released about the same Exclusives. To name a few I will list them since the console launched I can remember we are talking First games, or true exclusive.

1. Forza Horizon 
2. Forza Motorsport 5
3. Project Spark
4. Titanfall
5. Ryse (Son of Rome)
6. Halo (The Master Chief Collection)
7. Sunset Overdrive.

 Those are ones I remember some did come to PC later, but you would never know it at the time. I could throw in Timed exclusives to Microsoft products like Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare but choose to exclude it with others.

 These are games that where when announced where exclusive to the Xbox One though came to other platforms. Halo the MCC even now over 6 months later is Broken for a lot of users ( I do fear for 343's future they mess up Halo 5)

Now onto Playstation 4

Again these are games exclusive to the PS4, Destiny maps etc are excluded for obvious reasons.

1. Knack
2. Infamous Second Son
3. The Order 1886
4. Little Big Planet 3
5. Bloodborne.
6. Drive Club
7. Killzone Shadowfall

These are games I recall, there is some that are not exclusive to just XB1 or PS4, etc like Counterspy is also on PS3, Vita etc. Remember I am also listing games you would have thought at the time where exclusive to that console. I Am excluding games like Ratchet and Clank, Abzu, No Man's sky as they are either not released yet, or will also be on PC.

 Knack was a disaster, The Order 1886 was underwhelming for most give the price and the hype ( same goes for Destiny albeit not exclusive in all honesty. ) Infamous Second Son was by Infamous standards sub-par, the add-on DLC Infamous First Light was a better game then Infamous Second Son was, and it was DLC. Driveclub was a total disaster when it was released an that's after a year's delay, and a new studio

So this is where the amazing factor comes in, Sony has managed to dominate the Current Gen console market on the backs of 3rd party, Multiplat games, lackluster mostly first party games,  and Indies for the most part. Something the Playstation consoles are criticized for by other gamers you know who you are IndieStation detractors, yes Indies have helped make the PS4, yet now all the others are trying to court them. 

 So given that PS4's heavy hitters are nowhere to be seen till 2016 at the earliest ( Uncharted 4, news of a New TLOU game, A new Infamous game, not to mention Persona 5, Everyone's gone to the Rapture, or anything in the Tales OF series.) Add in the fact they have already released theirs, all you may see is a updated release, and a lot of Xbox one's supposed console sellers have released. Things are only going to get worse for the Xbox One and Wii U, and those are just games I can think of off the top of my head.

So again I ask how the hell are they doing it given all that data it should be PS4 would be the laggard  of the group yet it continually dominates. Microsoft and Nintendo best figure out how they are real fast or they will be a forgotten console before long.

In closing I am sure I have omitted some games here or there, and had some typo's I am still getting used to this blogging thing, I believe my arguments and points stand up regardless.

As always be Nice to Each Other

David

My thoughts on all the delayed games

Unless you have been living under a rock, you know 2015 is becoming 2014 again, The year of Hurry up and wait. As some may or maynot know they have just announced Tom Clancy's: The Division will not be coming till Spring 2016, see what I mean. Just for FYI here is a list of some of the games that have been delayed till 2016, and I am sure I am forgetting a bunch, I just choose the heavy hitters IMHO your list may differ and that's cool.

1. Ratchet and Clank: both the Game and the Movie.
2. Tom Clancy's: The Division. #Colin was right :)
3. Uncharted 4 (you just know Sony is pissed)
4. Dead Island 2
5. The new Zelda game on Wii U
6. Quantum Break (Xbox One exclusive)
7. The Walking Dead (Season 3)

Those are just a few off the top of my head, and you have to admit there is some big games in that list. Here is my thoughts on the delays, I will expand on just a cpl of them.

The Division: In all honesty I think this is a good thing, it allows more time to refine the gameplay, frame rate and or graphics. The main reason I think it is a good thing is it removes it from the Crazy Holiday season where most the massive regulars reside. Call of Duty, Fifa 16, NHL 16, NBA-2K16, Halo 5, Assassins Creed, Possible new Destiny DLC/Expansion announcement, 

 You get the picture it is one damn crowded place to be, and easy to get lost in the shuffle of them. I admit some of them should take at least a year or more off, or better yet just fade gracefully to black, but that's me

Uncharted 4: I can not imagine what scrambling is going on in side SCEE Worldwide, this is their marquee franchise, and a system seller. After that in-depth look at live gameplay at the Playstation Experience it pretty much put in most Sony/Uncharted fans minds this is coming Holiday 2015. 

 They are shooting now for Spring 2016 but I have my doubts, Naughty Dog has a history of doing multiple delays on releases. Now that has always payed off in the past, IIRC The Last of Us had its release date pushed back at least 3 times from when it was first announced.

Quantum Break: I don't know what to say when it comes to this one, we have seen almost nothing of it since it first appeared. That is what scares a lot of people this game was a premier game when the Xbox One was first revealed back in May 2013, it featured prominently there and at E3 2013. I admit they never said it would be a launch title, but how it was featured most figured at it would be out at least in 2015. We have heard pretty much Zilch out of Quantic Dream or Microsoft when it comes to it's current state.

 I know Microsoft has stated they will be premiering a New IP at E3 2016, I don't think it is this, my money is on Joe Montana being at the press conference and Joe Montana Football gets a release date.

 New Zelda on Wii U:
 I am not going to speak my thoughts on The new Zelda game for Wii U beying delayed, as it is not unusual for Nintendo to push a game back. In their defence though I will say this, when they do release a game even going back to the 80's the damn thing runs perfect 99% of the time.

 I believe this is because they made games back in the cartridge game era with no internet, your game had to work PERIOD. There is somethings that infuriate people when it comes to Nintendo, but one thing they can rarely if ever be chastised for is releasing FUBARED games.

In closing some games most are thinking are coming out this year, but I just don't see it.

No Mans Sky: Sorry the team is just to small and has to ambitious a vision for this to be out this holiday season they will show something more of the game though. I know Sony is hoping and Praying, and I hope I am wrong, I really do. But given the scope of the game, the size of the team I see spring 2016 written all over this.

Kingdom Hearts 3: It is Square Enix honestly this is released before 2017 I will be shocked, used to be a no brainer to buy a game from them, nowadays most times I avoid them like the plaque. I will just leave it at that and you have no idea how sad it makes me to have to say that.

The Last Guardian: My feelings are well known when it comes to this game on both Twitter and Google +. Until i see in engine gameplay not a cgi cutscene, and defined release date and listing on retailers this game is VAPOURWARE, nough said.

Quantum Break: I think ya get the gist of why I don't see it above.

I also am still not convinced Halo 5 drops this year either given how FUBAR'ED HALO THE MCC WAS AND STILL IS FOR MANY. I'll be honest I fear for those at 343 studios I really do, they screw this Halo game up I can see them closing. I mean they where trusted with the pinnacle of the Xbox Exclusives, Xbox Live and Xbox was created because of Halo, Xbox was built on Halo.
 No way Microsoft will tolerate another fiasco like the MCC was and still is for some, I can see this getting delayed till early like Jan 2016. I know they are promoting it madly and bundles and all, but believe me if there is a single light out of place Microsoft will delay the release.

So there you have it I have rambled enough, those are my thoughts on the delays and some prognostications on others. Feel free to leave your thoughts just remember!!!

As always be nice to each other

David

E3 Show times list is complete

So there is no Surprise Sony's conference will be after Microsofts this year again, with Microsoft saying they will be showing a New IP. I truly have no idea what Sony is going to counter with this E3 all their heavy hitters are delayed till 2016. My thoughts on that can be found Here It will be interesting to hear what others have to say on the matter.
Game Informer has updated their list. including the change in Square Enix conference so they don't go head to head with Nintendo. It is going to be a interesting week for sure, as Bethesda will be doing a conference which they rarely do (FALLOUT 4 ) please????? Also there is a 3hr or something long show dedicated to nothing but PC gaming, that is a must watch for me as well as the console makers ones.
Also just in case you missed it and what most expect Square Enix to show at their new time, check out Playstation Universe thoughts on it
As always be nice to each other.

Why timed exclusives are DEAD!!!!!!

So a lot of news of late has surrounded some aspects of games having timed exclusivity, which is a waste of money and time IMHO to any gamer.  A few examples are Destiny a lot of the DLC granted is timed exclusive, as are some guns and maps etc, FOR A YEAR from the games release date. Now does Xbox get a bone thrown here or there yeah they do, but it is not the point. I exclude some games like Bayonetta 2 because without Nintendo that game never gets made. Call Of Duty(COD)  is another example that applies in the following text.

 The Fact as a gamer you pay full price for in the case of Destiny, get a crippled game is unacceptable. Yes I said Crippled, because as a Xbox gamer you are paying the exact same price as the PlayStation gamer but either getting less or having to wait for a year in some cases for the same game. Now most who follow me on Google+ and Twitter know I prefer PlayStation and PC for gaming, PC for Multi-plats and yes I also talk about things other then gaming on Twitter.

 I offer this to the developers and Publishers out there, as a gamer myself your cash grabs are dead. If you think because Microsoft roll up with a truck load of money, and others have to wait we will switch your nuts. Those days if they ever existed are long dead, you really think we will switch consoles or device because you get a toy first on this one. THINK AGAIN, This is not the 80's we as gamers are not stupid, we will wait out your money play and buy the game on our preferred platform.

 So here is some advice Devs. pubs, and console makers. SAVE YOUR $ we are not stupid we will wait you out and your money was spent for NOT. AGAIN Save your money, invest in your internal studios and platforms like PSN and Xbox Live. The days of someone changing their mind because this game is coming out first on X console or platform are over.

  I will leave you with one last point, Do you honestly think a single PC gamer said Screw it, I am getting a Xbox or PlayStation console because GTA V is not out for a year on PC? I need to change platform and buy a Xbox or PlayStation, same goes for Nintendo. NOT going to happen we will wait you out, and believe me I was seriously tempted to buy a Wii U when I saw Bayonetta 2. That is one I just won't get to play in the near future but I can live with that as they did pay to make it.

So in conclusion Pubs/Devs Console makers wake up we are not stupid, we will wait you out as gamers. You need to sell your game more then we need to buy them or your console, We have options out the ying-yang, you have but a single choice to make, make the smart one and don't allow exclusivity in your games.
As a side note do not tell me timed exclusivity sells consoles because that is utter bullshit. First party games sell consoles nothing more, nothing less. You love uncharted your gonna buy a PlayStation device,. You love Halo your going to buy a Xbox, Mario a Nintendo device.

No gamer is switching loyalties because you get a gun for 6 months before me, that crap is dead to most gamers. Adapt Developers/Publisher/Rights owners we have grown up, we are device agnostic and I am 55yrs old, Give us what we want, where we want on the device we want when we want, or we will just wait you out

+Dave Mckee TheCyclingNut
Be nice to each other chow