So welcome back to part two of my favorite anime's of 2016, well ones I watched in 2016 they may have aired originally in the 80's I just never watched them till 2016. If you missed part One you can read it right here (opens new window.) So without further adieu lets get started, again I will do my best to include place I watched it, and if it is subbed or dubbed, assume I watched it subbed as it is my preferred way.
6) Our first anime series of part two that I really enjoyed watching in 2016 was originally aired from July 2014-March 2015 spanning 24eps it is Aldnoah.Zero. While hardly a unique story, humankind has split into two factions those who live on Mars and those who remained on Earth, you see where this is going right. After a great war and an event called " Heavens Fall " that results in a Hyper-Gate exploding and destroying the Earths moon, so a fragile peace is established. You know this is not going to last when a Princess from Mars is sent to Earth to try mediate a more sustaining peace and reunification, falls victim to an assassination attempt.
Long story short she survives since she uses stand-ins for a lot of appearances, and the Knights of Mars now have their excuse to take over the Earth in retaliation. Of course the entire plot was hatched by the Knights themselves and so the story starts off a new war as they invade Earth. I will let you watch the series if you want to know where it goes from there, while not a unique storyline, I really enjoyed it. The animation I found quite good and character development while not outstanding is there none the less and of course it has Mechs which is always a good thing IMHO.
(Crunchyroll-subbed 24eps, Funimation-Dubbed 12eps) as of this writing Funimation only has the first season, however I believe they have committed to dubbing the last 12eps as well.
7) Up next is a series when it was first announced I just cringed, a little back ground first I feel is in order. When Love Live Sunshine appeared I just banged my head repeatedly on my desk, saying why God, Why!!! how can you do this to me. If you have followed me for any amount of time you know I adored the original Love Live! I saw no reason for this blasphemy and posted my feelings on it numerous times. Now while it did not turn out as bad as I thought it would, it still fell short for me and I gave up after 7eps and have never returned.
Enter Brave Witches you guessed it saw what it was going to be, repeat banging head on desk muttering the same things I did before, Airing as part of the Fall anime season Oct-Dec of 2016 spanning 12 Eps plus a OVA. This one however unlike Love Live Sunshine I really did enjoy and watched it along with the OVA. It follows the 502 Joint Fighter wing who are also Witches but based in Orussia you know Russia in our world. Like with Sunshine there is cameos of the original Strike Witches the 501st. However the story really is about one Witches journey to try to be like her famous Sister and to fight along side her, however Hikari lacks the talent and confidence of her older Sister as far as the 502nd is concerned. This is not surprising since her Sister is Karibuchi Takami a Legend among the502nd and the entire military. If you loved Strike Witches like I did by all means give this one a shot, it's only 12eps so can be watched entirely in a weekend. If you want to watch the original Strike Witches it is on Funimation has 24Eps and is available subbed or dubbed.
(Crunchroll-12eps+OVA-subbed)
8) I am almost reluctant to even write anything about my next choice, how can one mere mortal man possibly put into words justly, how I feel about 2016's Fall season POCO'S UDON WORLD.
I guess all I can really say is if you loved Usagi Drop then you will love this also, and cry just as much at the end. It shares a few things a Child that is beyond adorable, though in POCO's case he is more then a mere mortal child. He is what is called in JapanneseFolklore a Tanuki, a Racoon Dog animal spirit that takes the form of a child and never ages. A unlikely person who takes them to raise them as their own, one who when they do shocks their own family members by their choice.
In case you are curious there actually is a real animal called a Racoon Dog just in case your curious and want something to google over the weekend. This story is one of joy, of heartache and growth of the human spirit, just watch this anime you will not regret it for one minute, and will be a must buy on Blu-ray for me at least this summer. While it is not a long series at all, ( a shame really) I could have watched it for years, it has a real ending which I wont spoil for you.
(Crunchyroll-12eps Subbed only)
9) For my last entry in this part going to go with yet another from the Winter 2016 anime season and like a few I have been suggesting it is a SOL/Comedy called The Flying Witch. Spanning just 12 eps this is a anime that features a Young Witch who is still learning her craft, however what makes this anime so good is the animation backgrounds and the character/world development. To quote Crunchyroll " Aomori, Japan. In a land blessed by nature’s bountiful beauty, bizarre things begin to take place. Makoto Kowata, 15 years old, is a professional witch. She left Yokohama with Chito, her black cat, to live in the house of her relatives in Aomori. This is where she begins to train as a witch. Even though Makoto’s powers are still limited to just flying through the sky, she and her second cousins Kei and Chinatsu surely make the most out of each and every day."
The character's she meets along the way make this just a nice way to end a day at least it was for me, I really hope we get another season though it does also have a Manga as well though not sure it has been translated or not. So far there has been nothing confirmed regarding a season 2 however keep in mind it was a Winter anime premier so maybe we hear something in the summer.
(Crunchyroll-12 Eps Subbed)
I think that will do it for this part, I think I will do one more part but will save it for the weekend perhaps, I hope you give at least a few of the anime's a try I have been writing about you could be surprised just like I was with them. Feel free to write in your favorites of 2016 that you watched in the comments below, I like many others are always on the lookout for new anime's to give a try.
I will leave you as always with Play nice with Each other.
David
I maybe Canadian but I am rarely apologetic, opinions I have a lot of them. My opinions of course are my own, and I welcome yours
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thoughts. Show all posts
Tuesday, 24 January 2017
Monday, 23 January 2017
My favorite anime's of 2016 well sort of, Part 1
So by now you know I often have little quirks in my titles for a post, this one as you can see is no different what can I say I like it. So why the " sort of " well simple really not all the shows I am going to mention actually originally aired in 2016. Everyone and their cat does a Top 10 anime of whatever year it is, I did not want to do that, for a few reasons. One there is well so many of them why just make another one, also there is numerous people far more qualified too make those lists., so I will leave it to them. Secondly they tend to often just be nothing more then whatever was the most popular that year, aka SAO is the best anime ever created by man in x-year type thing.
For me at least a lot of those series just don't move me like they seem to do for millions of fans around the world, I have no interest in One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, etc, etc. Also hopefully you will find one or two I am going to mention you may not have watched, or perhaps knew of before.
So without further delay here are just 10 maybe more anime I watched in 2016 that stuck with me the most, they may not even have been originally aired in 2016 it's just that is when I watched them.
This is not a ranked list so don't read anything into where they appear, I could list a anime near the end could well have been my favorite of 2016 so now you know. Going to split this up into two maybe three parts otherwise it will be TL:DR we'll see how it plays out after this one. I will try list if it is subbed, dubbed or both and where I watched it, where you decide too watch it is up to you. If an anime has both subbed and dubbed versions available, you can assume I watched it subbed unless otherwise noted.
1) First up is well frankly one funny as hell anime I cam across one evening when I was bored, boy was I glad I did it is Squid Girl: the invader from the sea. Originally airing in 2010 it spans 24 episodes plus 2 OVA's and is a SOL/Comedy, and it is damn funny. Squid Girl takes it upon herself to come out of the ocean to invade the land and try to save her underwater world from the ravages of human garbage dumping in the sea. Of course this does not exactly go as planned as she ends up damaging a café, and one of the owners with a scary side makes her work as a waitress to pay off the damages. From there on out the comedy ensues along with some very touching moments just to break up the comedy. (Subbed-Crunchyroll)
2) Next up I came across a anime from 2005 called Solty Rei and it spans 26 eps in total, in all honesty they could have made 126 and I would have been glad, I will quote Funimation's website for this one as they sum it up quite nicely
" Countless were killed in the unexplained Blast Fall, and those left maimed—the Resembles—had their bodies rebuilt with high-tech prosthetic devices. Bounty hunter Roy Revant was sure he’d seen everything the broken city had to offer—until the day a strange little girl named Solty fell from the sky. Roy and Solty may seek different things, but who wants to search for truth alone? "
There is some really funny moments, some really sad moments and I cried numerous times watching this series. Roy has a darkside he holds a lot of pain inside of him because of the "Blast Fall" and lost everything he loved, this has made him into a very bitter man who cares for nothing. He also has no time for others let alone what he perceives as a robot, despite her having feelings and a conscience, I won't spoil it by saying anything else about the story. I will just say this the voice acting is top notch, as is the animation for 2005, I enjoyed it so much I bought the boxed set of the series.
(Dubbed-Funimation)
3) For the next one something that started in the late Winter season of 2015 and ended in 2016, see not all of my suggestions are 10 yrs old. Dimension W shares a cpl of things in common with Solty Rei, in that it features a somewhat Grumpy old guy, and a Female Android type character. Like Roy from Solty Rei the main male character Kyouma diss-likes and distrusts anything to do with Coils and technology, a mysterious device allowing to tap into the power of Dimension W.
He is a hunter/collectors of Coils and redeems them for money, not the most enjoyable thing buy hey it pays the bills. Kyouma is old school in a time of Coil powered everything he refuses Coils and still drives a old Gasoline powered clunker. Long story short one recovery job has him running into Mira a Android who is related to the creator of Coil technology, you know where this is going. I will end it there so you can discover the rest for yourself should you care to watch it, which I highly suggest you do, it is short only 12 eps so can be binge watched in a weekend. (Funimation-Dubbed and Subbed versions)
4) Okay I am not going to tell you anything about this one because frankly I can not do it justice with words, it is that wonderful a series. Originally airing from Oct/2014 thru March of 2015 Your lie in April is something that just has to be experienced, all I will say is make sure you have lots of Kleenex handy as you are going to need them, and that Opposites truly do attract. I have watched this anime three times since first watching it in February 2016, it is just that beautiful and we need more series like this.
(Crunchyroll both subbed and dubbed versions available)
5) For this one going to something that actually did air in July-Sept 2016 and I watched it weekly as it aired and that is New Game. A High School graduate Aoba Suzukaze is a gamer she is also such a fan of a particular game she learns Game Development. Upon graduation she gets her dream job not only is she hired by a game developer, it is the same developer who made her favorite game. She gets to meet her idols if you will but they are not what she was expecting, from there the comedy and the fanservice abounds.
While we have only got the first season (12 eps) so far there is a second season that's been announced, also a visual novel game based on the anime releasing end of January 2017 in Japan on Ps4. There is also a manga that has been in print since 2013 and the series continues to this day.
(Crunchyroll-Subbed)
That will do it for part one not sure how many parts there will be but we will see, probably 3 but I want to limit it to ones that stood out to me, I listed all I watched it would be 50 parts and nobody wats that.
What anime stuck out to you in 2016 that you watched fell free to share them in the comments respectfully of course and as always play nice with each other.
David
For me at least a lot of those series just don't move me like they seem to do for millions of fans around the world, I have no interest in One Piece, Dragon Ball Z, etc, etc. Also hopefully you will find one or two I am going to mention you may not have watched, or perhaps knew of before.
So without further delay here are just 10 maybe more anime I watched in 2016 that stuck with me the most, they may not even have been originally aired in 2016 it's just that is when I watched them.
This is not a ranked list so don't read anything into where they appear, I could list a anime near the end could well have been my favorite of 2016 so now you know. Going to split this up into two maybe three parts otherwise it will be TL:DR we'll see how it plays out after this one. I will try list if it is subbed, dubbed or both and where I watched it, where you decide too watch it is up to you. If an anime has both subbed and dubbed versions available, you can assume I watched it subbed unless otherwise noted.
1) First up is well frankly one funny as hell anime I cam across one evening when I was bored, boy was I glad I did it is Squid Girl: the invader from the sea. Originally airing in 2010 it spans 24 episodes plus 2 OVA's and is a SOL/Comedy, and it is damn funny. Squid Girl takes it upon herself to come out of the ocean to invade the land and try to save her underwater world from the ravages of human garbage dumping in the sea. Of course this does not exactly go as planned as she ends up damaging a café, and one of the owners with a scary side makes her work as a waitress to pay off the damages. From there on out the comedy ensues along with some very touching moments just to break up the comedy. (Subbed-Crunchyroll)
2) Next up I came across a anime from 2005 called Solty Rei and it spans 26 eps in total, in all honesty they could have made 126 and I would have been glad, I will quote Funimation's website for this one as they sum it up quite nicely
" Countless were killed in the unexplained Blast Fall, and those left maimed—the Resembles—had their bodies rebuilt with high-tech prosthetic devices. Bounty hunter Roy Revant was sure he’d seen everything the broken city had to offer—until the day a strange little girl named Solty fell from the sky. Roy and Solty may seek different things, but who wants to search for truth alone? "
There is some really funny moments, some really sad moments and I cried numerous times watching this series. Roy has a darkside he holds a lot of pain inside of him because of the "Blast Fall" and lost everything he loved, this has made him into a very bitter man who cares for nothing. He also has no time for others let alone what he perceives as a robot, despite her having feelings and a conscience, I won't spoil it by saying anything else about the story. I will just say this the voice acting is top notch, as is the animation for 2005, I enjoyed it so much I bought the boxed set of the series.
(Dubbed-Funimation)
3) For the next one something that started in the late Winter season of 2015 and ended in 2016, see not all of my suggestions are 10 yrs old. Dimension W shares a cpl of things in common with Solty Rei, in that it features a somewhat Grumpy old guy, and a Female Android type character. Like Roy from Solty Rei the main male character Kyouma diss-likes and distrusts anything to do with Coils and technology, a mysterious device allowing to tap into the power of Dimension W.
He is a hunter/collectors of Coils and redeems them for money, not the most enjoyable thing buy hey it pays the bills. Kyouma is old school in a time of Coil powered everything he refuses Coils and still drives a old Gasoline powered clunker. Long story short one recovery job has him running into Mira a Android who is related to the creator of Coil technology, you know where this is going. I will end it there so you can discover the rest for yourself should you care to watch it, which I highly suggest you do, it is short only 12 eps so can be binge watched in a weekend. (Funimation-Dubbed and Subbed versions)
4) Okay I am not going to tell you anything about this one because frankly I can not do it justice with words, it is that wonderful a series. Originally airing from Oct/2014 thru March of 2015 Your lie in April is something that just has to be experienced, all I will say is make sure you have lots of Kleenex handy as you are going to need them, and that Opposites truly do attract. I have watched this anime three times since first watching it in February 2016, it is just that beautiful and we need more series like this.
(Crunchyroll both subbed and dubbed versions available)
5) For this one going to something that actually did air in July-Sept 2016 and I watched it weekly as it aired and that is New Game. A High School graduate Aoba Suzukaze is a gamer she is also such a fan of a particular game she learns Game Development. Upon graduation she gets her dream job not only is she hired by a game developer, it is the same developer who made her favorite game. She gets to meet her idols if you will but they are not what she was expecting, from there the comedy and the fanservice abounds.
While we have only got the first season (12 eps) so far there is a second season that's been announced, also a visual novel game based on the anime releasing end of January 2017 in Japan on Ps4. There is also a manga that has been in print since 2013 and the series continues to this day.
(Crunchyroll-Subbed)
That will do it for part one not sure how many parts there will be but we will see, probably 3 but I want to limit it to ones that stood out to me, I listed all I watched it would be 50 parts and nobody wats that.
What anime stuck out to you in 2016 that you watched fell free to share them in the comments respectfully of course and as always play nice with each other.
David
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
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
Saturday, 21 January 2017
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.
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
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
Friday, 13 January 2017
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
Sunday, 16 October 2016
Apologies for lack of writing
I am sorry for not writing much, I suffered a Stroke so typing is not that easy for me now. However I will be doing my top 5-10 list both anime and video games, perhaps a few related items as well. I have ordered a voice to text program as typing is a chore, not to mention typo's. Hopefully I get it not sure as of yet. For now it takes me 20 mins to type and correct what I used to type in 2 minutes. tops, but I am still alive and can function so can not complain.
I also just got back from Osaka a month or so ago after a special wedding so that also had me out of the loop a bit. I really think I may move to Nippon I love it far more then where I am now in Canada. Not that Canada is bad hell look at the current USA election my country is a dream compared to that mess. Just do not expect me to post on any site as I used to frequently it is just to hard to do, Don't smoke kids I will tell you that right now, just run away from cigs, you will pay a price down the road as I have regardless you feel fine. One day you will pay as I have and lose more then you can imagine when it comes to your lifestyle..
For now I will post my top games and anime/shows of 2016 like I did last year, I am not as active on G+ and Twitter as I used to be for now, but feel free to follow me on both. I like to think I have a voice that counts in some aspect to some people, not all perhaps but some.
Till then as Always.
Play nice with each other, it is only a game!!!!!!
David
I also just got back from Osaka a month or so ago after a special wedding so that also had me out of the loop a bit. I really think I may move to Nippon I love it far more then where I am now in Canada. Not that Canada is bad hell look at the current USA election my country is a dream compared to that mess. Just do not expect me to post on any site as I used to frequently it is just to hard to do, Don't smoke kids I will tell you that right now, just run away from cigs, you will pay a price down the road as I have regardless you feel fine. One day you will pay as I have and lose more then you can imagine when it comes to your lifestyle..
For now I will post my top games and anime/shows of 2016 like I did last year, I am not as active on G+ and Twitter as I used to be for now, but feel free to follow me on both. I like to think I have a voice that counts in some aspect to some people, not all perhaps but some.
Till then as Always.
Play nice with each other, it is only a game!!!!!!
David
Monday, 15 August 2016
FF XV delay, No mans sky.
Well it has been awhile since I last wrote anything here, health issues had me down and well the summer gaming wise is boring for the most part, I did miss fall 2015 sorry.
SO what is on my mind this summer
Well summer is starting to wind down, bigger games are coming out, though bigger is a relative term really, we have No mans Sky, Final Fantasy XV delay. Two games I think suffer from the same affliction in the long wrong, let me explain. No mans sky debuted in 2012/13 IIRC and Sony put it front of stage/show over the coming years. despite having a studio head clearly un-comfortable on stage and in public they kept pushing him out. That in and of itself does not make a bad game in consumers minds, many people have issues with crowds, hell just watch anime :)
This is where we get to the similarity's between it and Final Fantasy XV ( FF XV ) and No Mans Sky and wait for it,,,,,,,,,, another game I feel the same way. What games could they be other then the first two I mentioned, for one of them I will speak from experience yet another Sony hyped game " DESTINY sorry no way you can say it matched most gamer's expectations. "
See where this is going, I will just direct quote a post I made on Google + to save typing and time.
My thoughts on the Final Fantasy XV delay
I have to be honest I could care a less, yes I love FF but gave up on this game what feels like a decade ago. I truly am to the point if it never came out I would not shed a tear, don't get me wrong. I hope it sells tens of millions and revitalises the series I just don't see that coming to pass. I have written on my blog a few times my thoughts of Square Enix today compared to say 15 years ago.
There was a time I saw Squaresoft on a box it was a must buy, could care a less what the game was about it is Square so it is gonna be good. Those days passed long ago, ATLUS now occupy's that place in my wallet. I also do not see it getting dis-logged anytime soon based on Squares previous works.
Yes XIV is a fun game I have it but it is subscriber based so they have to keep putting out to keep gamer's paying the fees. The problem I have with Square is they constantly announce new projects like FF VII remake yet have never finished Kingdom Hearts 3. They keep making announcements, movies, anime's and so on yet to finish what they start.
Who the hell asked for a movie based on FF XV, anyone.......???? didn't think so not to mention it is animated, time that could have been spent releasing games they announced over a decade ago. So am I concerned or upset NO I am not as I gave up caring about this game a decade ago damn near, along with some of their other " Announcements." < end the quote >
Now we enter the third game I feel is going to suffer from the same malaise from the public, that is get ready for it..... " The Last Guardian." Yet another game announced long before it should have ever been, hyped to the heavens and can never meet those expectations. Josh asked what I wanted for a present this birthday I said nothing, I will let ya know, months past and he asked me again and he mentioned he had ordered No Mans Sky and was going to for me, I said no. Not because I knew it would be a bad game or a great game, but because there was no way it could match the hype.
This also holds true for those FF XV fans and those who are interested in the Last Guardian, it could be 7 yrs ago GOTY candidate or winner. Today there is NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO possible way it could ever match the vision gamer's have in their minds to it's final incarnation. It I believe like No Mans Sky and what will eventually be FF XV will be a disappointment to all those who pre-order it, because it does not match our vision.
The difference is Hello Games had no past track record with us, what was Team ICO is long since gone but Square Enix we know very well, a legacy of disappointment the past 10+ years. So am I upset 15 is delayed hell no, I will pick it up 3 yrs from now like " The Last Guardian " from the bargain bin like most over hyped games.
Till next time remember it's only a game, play nice with each other.
David
Thursday, 12 November 2015
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
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
Wednesday, 28 October 2015
My PS4 sales numbers
Sony tomorrow Oct 29th/2015 if I recall correctly is scheduled to release their earnings report. and it could be interesting to read. Development and production costs I have to believe have been fully recovered for the PS4, hence we got the price cut earlier this month. Some are thinking 25 Million PS4 units SOLD not shipped I think it maybe higher, like 26 Million sold. PS4 is a massive success by any consoles sales standards. It is out pacing everything on the market and even the Legendary PS2 ( The best selling Game console in History ) I do not expect that to change.
While it is true that Sony does not have that blockbuster Holiday exclusive this holiday season they have a solid lineup. If they could have had Uncharted 4: A Thief's End I am sure they would have pressured Naughty Dog to do it, to their credit they did not. They realize it is a legendary franchise and this is probably its last hurrah, so they let Naughty Dog do their thing. Despite not having a Halo Killer, a Tomb Raider rival to offer this holiday the console still sells exceedingly well, even on Xbox home turf.
What scares me is how poorly Sony's other divisions maybe doing, for a few years now Playstation has been the only profitable thing in their stable. You can not maintain a company of Sony's size with only 1 division firing on all cylinders, it is just not sustainable for any organization.
Some have said Sony will at some point spin off Playstation and make it a separate company I don't see it happening anytime soon. Perhaps in the future say 5 yrs from now they make make it a separate Publicly traded company, with Sony being the major shareholder. I just do not see why they would do it unless they shed a lot of divisions under their umbrella and Sony is Playstation. I am sure that day will come if Sony's other divisions continue to bleed money as they have been the past number of years.
This maybe one earnings report even those who are not into business in any form wants to read in detail.
I will leave you as always " Play nice with each other " :)
David
While it is true that Sony does not have that blockbuster Holiday exclusive this holiday season they have a solid lineup. If they could have had Uncharted 4: A Thief's End I am sure they would have pressured Naughty Dog to do it, to their credit they did not. They realize it is a legendary franchise and this is probably its last hurrah, so they let Naughty Dog do their thing. Despite not having a Halo Killer, a Tomb Raider rival to offer this holiday the console still sells exceedingly well, even on Xbox home turf.
What scares me is how poorly Sony's other divisions maybe doing, for a few years now Playstation has been the only profitable thing in their stable. You can not maintain a company of Sony's size with only 1 division firing on all cylinders, it is just not sustainable for any organization.
Some have said Sony will at some point spin off Playstation and make it a separate company I don't see it happening anytime soon. Perhaps in the future say 5 yrs from now they make make it a separate Publicly traded company, with Sony being the major shareholder. I just do not see why they would do it unless they shed a lot of divisions under their umbrella and Sony is Playstation. I am sure that day will come if Sony's other divisions continue to bleed money as they have been the past number of years.
This maybe one earnings report even those who are not into business in any form wants to read in detail.
I will leave you as always " Play nice with each other " :)
David
My thoughts on Sony's press conference at PGW
I am not going to list every game that Sony showed as that would be a 10 page blog post, and nobody wants that, even me. I had to re-watch the press conference as twitch was acting up for me yesterday, so thought it only fair I re-watch it on Sony Playstation Youtube page.
So where to start there was Soooooooooooo many games, most were exclusive to PS4 or Playstation VR, or at the least console first on PS4. Unless I counted wrong there was like 25 games showcased at the event, an amount to rival their E3 2015 show.
Things I did not like, yes I don't drool everything Playstation:)
I am going to start with something Sony had no control over, and that was the audience, my lord I thought I was at a funeral. I don't know what they put in the water there in France, but it had to be Valium, or Xanax or something. Holy crap they were a quiet bunch, it was like they all wished they were anywhere but at this event, it was damn near depressing. I can only imagine how most of the presenters felt having to go up on that stage, it could not have been easy.
Now onto things Sony could control, stop showcasing that hideous Black Ops III PS4 console, it is freaking ugly as sin. I would not even have that thing in my house if Yoshida-san himself gave me one for free, I am serious.
I understand Street Fighter V is a console exclusive, I get it but it did not deserve almost 15 minutes of the show. What was with that awkward exchange between Harada-san and the S.F guys it was cringe worthy to watch. If ya want to have him on stage then bring him out alone to talk Tekken 7, was no need for what transpired. I get the tie in he is a character in Street Fighter 5, but was no real need to have him here.
Now onto things I liked, loved, drooled over.
I am not going to go into great detail on a lot of the games, and there was a lot, you can watch the media briefing for that. They started the show with Black Ops III and Star Wars battlefront, no surprise there, Sony is really tied into those two games. They also are coming out soon so was smart they showcased them right from the get go, that Darth Vader PS4 looks awesome I might add.
The the whole Street fighter 5/ Tekken debacle as I refer to it as, you can see my feelings above so not going to dwell on it in any detail. Battleborn I am not into MOBA like games so it held no interest me for myself, though can see some really digging it. Vector again a game I could care a less about as I am not Rythm game fan, if I was I would own Persona Dancing all night long before Vector. A lingering theme of the show was most are 2016 games and beyond, that will come as no surprise to anyone. Sony has been pretty up front that this holiday season is kind sparse other than Third party partnerships.
Then we come to No Man's Sky, and I have a prediction on this one, it was announced it is a June 2016 release. I predict that at E3 2016 it comes out with Playstation VR after the conference. I would not even be surprised if ya could buy Playstation VR get the game for free or at the least exclusive content.
Matterfall House Marque's new ip intrigued me, would be awesome if it had VR support but who knows time will tell. After was the new Ratchet and Clank PS4 exclusive game March 2016, I am a Jak and Daxter fan so was not interested myself. I think I refilled my Sake cup during it to be honest that is how little it interested me.
Horizon; Zero Dawn ohhhhhhhhhhhhh how do I love thee let me count the ways!!! I adore this game from what has been shown so far this year, I can not wait for this and may have to buy a PS4 for it I am that stoked. The more I see the more I am just fascinated by this world Guerrilla games has created, I can see this being Sony's next huge franchise.
Let's not forget Uncharted is done as we know it, and this as the next big franchise only makes sense, if this has VR support holy crap, that could be a Console and VR seller right there. The only thing that would be right up there on my hype tree is if Hellblade got announced, with VR support, but I don't expect that till 2017.
Bloodborne DLC add on/expansion that was known for ages, Driveclub adding Bikes that was interesting. The game has such a notorious past due to its massive delay, and launch day issues, but glad it is not abandoned. Sony stuck with it and the studio, the game runs excellent now. The fact they are going to expand on the base of the game is welcome news. Was also nice they mentioned it is standalone or who can buy it as an expansion if you own DriveClub. The cherry on top was that it was available to buy right after the show on the Playstation store, that I did not see coming at all.
I will skip Gravity Rush 2 because I am still pissed another Vita title has migrated to PS4 thats all I will say.
Uncharted 4 saw the MP and a Beta will be playable starting Dec 4-13 2015, they say March release date I will believe it when I see it.
Dreams I have to be honest looks cool, it is imaginative and Media Molecule has a lot of Imagination, but it is not a game for me.
Then we got into Playstation VR and boy we got quite a lot of info, surprised most was not saved for PSX in December. Rigs I think sony is banking on becoming MLG Esport game time will tell though but I liked what I saw.
Until Dawn Rush of Blood okay this I probably should have put up top under things I hated, this game makes no sense as named. Colin Moriarty from kindafunnygames said exactly what I was thinking when watching this. The game has NOTHING to do with Until Dawn, why tarnish that games reputation with that title. It just makes no logical sense to me whatsoever but you know they will stick with the name, it has cache.
Crytek showed their new game ( I'll be honest I thought they went under ) and ceased to exist as a studio. It is a VR game so who knows where it goes, VR is still unproven as to being widely adopted my most gamers. I will say this though a demo called " The Walk " looked bloody awesome and showcased the highlights of VR very well.
I also caught a glimpse in a sizzle reel that Final Fantasy XIV: HeavensWard will be Playstation VR compatible.
One of the loudest applause was for Polyphony logo as people new we were going to see Gran Turismo.though it is not called 7. Gran Turismo Sport is the new title, and will have a early Beta out in early 2016,. it also no surprise really will have VR support when the full game is out, be you like racing games or not they are huge in Europe.
Now we come to a game that has me really excited, and divides a lot of the Playstation community, more so the Studio. Detroit: Become Human is Quantic Dreams new game and I have to say I had never heard of Kara before. Now hate on David cage all ya like, I like their games, from heavy rain up to Beyond 2 Souls, yes I liked B2S. They showed actual in engine game capture, so I am assuming the game is pretty far along in development. We did not get a release date I assume Holiday 2016 at the very earliest, but time will tell.
All in all I enjoyed the show and thought Sony showcased one of their strengths, Games, Games and more games. Also they showcased their tight relationship with both their First party studios, Third Party and Indies. All in all even with all the awkward moments of presenters, and the comatose audience I thought the show was well done. Myself I can not wait till PSX in San Francisco come Dec and what will be showcased there.
I will leave you as always Play nice with each other
David
Saturday, 3 October 2015
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
Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Why you should not buy the New PS4 1tb model
So why am I saying do not buy the new 1tb PS4, after all Playstation when I game on console is my prefered platform the reason is simple. The current 1tb models including the now BO3 bundle is the older version of the PS4, it sounds like a jet engine, gets hot as hades, and it is a electricity pig, like the original Xbox ones.
The newer 500gb bundles are the revised PS4 model, it is 28% quieter, it runs much cooler and uses less electricity, that is why I do not recommend buying the new 1tb bundles at present. Upgrading the hard-drive in a PS4 is so simple that my neighbours 12 yr old did with no help from his parents.
Your best option since most of us own a Laptop or PC is to re-purpose the default drive in the 500gb model and buy yourself a good Hybrid or regular HDD. Even my PS3 the first thing I did when I got my slim was rip out the HDD and install a 1TB hybrid drive, (Hybrid is a mix of physical platters and onboard Sdram.) The thing is quite fast compared to the default drive it shipped with and i just used it in my PC.
If you wish to see a video on how to tell the difference in the models here is a Video for you
So as the old saying goes, being forewarned is being forearmed, you won't regret the advice I assure you.
As always be nice to each other!!!!
You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter
Facebook: Facebook
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The newer 500gb bundles are the revised PS4 model, it is 28% quieter, it runs much cooler and uses less electricity, that is why I do not recommend buying the new 1tb bundles at present. Upgrading the hard-drive in a PS4 is so simple that my neighbours 12 yr old did with no help from his parents.
Your best option since most of us own a Laptop or PC is to re-purpose the default drive in the 500gb model and buy yourself a good Hybrid or regular HDD. Even my PS3 the first thing I did when I got my slim was rip out the HDD and install a 1TB hybrid drive, (Hybrid is a mix of physical platters and onboard Sdram.) The thing is quite fast compared to the default drive it shipped with and i just used it in my PC.
If you wish to see a video on how to tell the difference in the models here is a Video for you
So as the old saying goes, being forewarned is being forearmed, you won't regret the advice I assure you.
As always be nice to each other!!!!
You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter
Facebook: Facebook
Twitter: Twitter
Monday, 21 September 2015
Just thought I would share
Sometimes I get asked what are some games you have played and replay time and again, I can not show all of them of course but choose a few covering everything from PSP and Dreamcast to 360 and PS3. A lot of my PC and to some extent PS3 and 360 games are digital so kinda hard to show those.
I have switched to buying a lot digital especially when it comes to classics, due to the cost of physical copies. No I do not own a PS4 or Xbox one they are over hyped, overpriced and under powered IMHO, maybe when they hit $200 new I will get one.
Sorry it is not crystal clear I do not have a tripod for my tablet so makes it hard to hold steady.
These are just the tip of some of my favorite games of all time, you may agree with some, say I am nuts for others, but it is my opinion. And why did I choose Mass Effect 2 on 360 simply put at the time it played and looked better on 360. Also why no Final fantasy VII that one is simple it is highly over-rated IMHO, Crisis Core is a far better game and story, albeit for PSP and made a few years later.
Yes Shenmue is on the top for a reason and always will be, I have even tweeted and had favorited by Yu Suzuki himself my desire for a Shenmue 3 Dreamcast version, I backed the kickstarter for PC version, though asked for a Dreamcast version, I want to finish my story where I started my journey and that is on Dreamcast. I do not care if it costs $100 for the Dreamcast version I want it and said as much to him, he owns the IP he can make it happen.
Beyond Two Souls is probably controversial for a lot of people but like the original Mirror's Edge I loved it. I think both games deserve a second look by gamers. Is either one of them perfect a GOTY candidate, heck no that said they are also not as bad as some like to say they are.
As always I will end with be nice to each other.
David
https://twitter.com/OpinonatedCanuc
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I have switched to buying a lot digital especially when it comes to classics, due to the cost of physical copies. No I do not own a PS4 or Xbox one they are over hyped, overpriced and under powered IMHO, maybe when they hit $200 new I will get one.
Sorry it is not crystal clear I do not have a tripod for my tablet so makes it hard to hold steady.
These are just the tip of some of my favorite games of all time, you may agree with some, say I am nuts for others, but it is my opinion. And why did I choose Mass Effect 2 on 360 simply put at the time it played and looked better on 360. Also why no Final fantasy VII that one is simple it is highly over-rated IMHO, Crisis Core is a far better game and story, albeit for PSP and made a few years later.
Yes Shenmue is on the top for a reason and always will be, I have even tweeted and had favorited by Yu Suzuki himself my desire for a Shenmue 3 Dreamcast version, I backed the kickstarter for PC version, though asked for a Dreamcast version, I want to finish my story where I started my journey and that is on Dreamcast. I do not care if it costs $100 for the Dreamcast version I want it and said as much to him, he owns the IP he can make it happen.
Beyond Two Souls is probably controversial for a lot of people but like the original Mirror's Edge I loved it. I think both games deserve a second look by gamers. Is either one of them perfect a GOTY candidate, heck no that said they are also not as bad as some like to say they are.
As always I will end with be nice to each other.
David
https://twitter.com/OpinonatedCanuc
Facebook:
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Friday, 3 July 2015
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
Wednesday, 1 July 2015
My thoughts on E3 2015 Part one
My thoughts and remarks on E3 2015
So another E3 has come and gone and we are left with our own thoughts on what we got offered at this years show, and there is a lot to digest. It is for that reason I have not given my thoughts on the conferences, I really needed to go back and rewatch a few of them, some not so much. So who won E3 before I give my take on it some context is needed as to what each brought to the table. I am not going to cover every conference that was showcased, else this be a 200 page post, nor post every game. That need should you desire it can be easily served by just re-watching the conferences online yourself.
Microsoft's presentation.
I have to say Microsoft did a really good.... lets call it what it was great job this year, I was impressed by it for many reasons. The pacing was fantastic it was game after game after game, it struck me during it can this really be the same company that laid a egg on the exact same stage 2 years earlier? Phil Spencer has really made his mark on the Xbox division, it's primary focus and it is the better for it, like I said hard to believe it's the same company.
What surprised me also was that Bonnie Ross opened the show, I know she is head of 343 but seriously, I would have thought they would have buried her in the background at the show. They try that at Gamescom and if she is not almost booed off the stage I will be surprised, E3 is not a show for consumers. Gamescom is more consumer/gamer focused, open to the public far more than E3. How she did not apologize for the massive screw-up that was the Halo MCC is beyond me, ya screw up that bad you need to apologize.
Another thing again like previous years what the hell is with the cars dropping from the ceiling, get rid of it pleaseeeeeeee!!!!. It serves no purpose, cost a fortune, a person does not buy a racing game because a car descends from the sky. A racing fan is going to buy forza well because they are a racing fan, a Pinto could drop from the ceiling and they would still buy the game. I will mention only briefly that creepy " World premiere" etc etc Voice over guy that preceded the games showing on screen, lose it. I also disliked the ambiguity that was displayed, is it console exclusive, is it also on PC, or just PC feature or game it was hard to tell. Console debut ( Sony was guilty of the same thing) is it on other consoles, on PC or handheld, I did not like that at all?
Now for the good things, some downplayed it but I thought it was great, The " Rare collection" 30 classic xbox and xbox 360 games in one collection for $30.00 USD . I realize it is not for everyone but as a gamer in his late 50's it was great to see them bring them to a new generation of players. Tomb Raider looked bloody awesome, hate all ya want that it is first on Xbox but ya have to admit it looked awesome. I will wait like I did for the last Tomb raider game and get it on PC, but it looked great on Xbox One. I also loved the fact that console gamers would get the chance to experience Fallout 4 with the same mods those on PC can use, yes it will come to PS4 at some point but was announced here.
Cuphead a brand new console exclusive IP if I recall correctly is out next year, I have no idea what the game is about but damn it looked bloody brilliant. it was also a bit of a theme at their conference this year, a focus on Indie games unlike years past. ReCore was a game that just floored me, not sure I will buy a Xbox One to play it but was great to see it get a showcase being a unproven IP. You can say they are just taking a page from "Sony's playbook" (one people ridicule them for by the way) and who cares, it is good for everyone, Microsoft sees that Indies are a big thing and was a welcome change in direction.
Phil spencer was true to his word that Windows 10 will be a integral part of Microsoft's new focus on gaming and Xbox integration, unlike it's TV, TV, TV., Sports, entertainment TV focus of 2 years ago.
So thats about it for Microsoft, no way I could cover everything and keep the article reasonable, to summarize they did a great job and left me impressed.
Sony's presentation
Sony this year was the year of heavy-hitters, and they started right out of the gate with it, I was bloody impressed however like I did with Microsoft I will start with the things I disliked about Sony's conference, fair is fair after all, so lets get this started with a disclaimer.
Outside of my PC, Playstation is my prefered gaming platform, I own the other platforms but those two are my prefered go-to platforms. . Much like at Microsoft's conference the ambiguity of the wording at the end of videos or the start. What the hell does Console premier mean???? seriously is it on xbox, is it on Vita, how about PC or 3ds? what the hell is that Console premiere bullshit supposed to mean? Only Nintendo did not use it of the 3 main showcases and that's only because all games on their platform are exclusive really being First party games. I am going to give to a example of what I mean bet ya thought Firewatch was exclusive to Playstation guess what it ain't, hell it even has a Linux version for PC not to mention Mac and Windows, but you would never know it from that trailer.
That Fiasco that was Shenmue III kickstarter thing what the hell are you thinking it undermines the whole purpose of kickstarter. Yu Suzuki could have easily just sent out a tweet and it would have been covered to death, there was no need for that crap at a press conference, You showcase what you are doing and have coming not promote something you may invest in. We now know they are invested in it) it is not " Their own thing" as Adam stated, flagrant lie if you ask me. It is a gaming showcase not the home shopping network, the game would be funded if you had never said a single word and you know it. Not to mention the fact the originals were not even playstation games they were on Dreamcast and the second also later on Xbox, sorry that just pissed me off that part of the show.
TV, TV, TV did you not learn a single thing from Microsoft's implosion that was E3 2013... Nothing? Nobody cares about bloody TV, or any affiliations your building, GAMES, GAMES GAMES GAMES. You piledrived that into people's heads in 2013 and ripped Microsoft a new one, and rightfully so. Yet here we are 2 yrs in and you're doing the exact same bloody thing, STOP IT, same with PS now as it sits is of no interest to most people, I am not going to pay to play the games I already own.
The complete and utter lack of respect for the PS Vita floored me, I know it is not selling as expected, but that's their own fault. They marketed it poorly, over hyped it then a just over a yr later trash it saying " No 1st party games anymore." The disrespect that device got was quite frankly shocking, I know there is only so much time, but seriously you could not spare 10 mins for it, and lose the bloody tv talk?
The complete and utter lack of respect for the PS Vita floored me, I know it is not selling as expected, but that's their own fault. They marketed it poorly, over hyped it then a just over a yr later trash it saying " No 1st party games anymore." The disrespect that device got was quite frankly shocking, I know there is only so much time, but seriously you could not spare 10 mins for it, and lose the bloody tv talk?
Now for the good stuff, I am going to start off with the one game that gave me Gamescom 2014 shivers (Hellblade, I love you Ninja Theory) and it is not what you think, it was Horizon; Zero Dawn. A brand new game from the same studio best known for the Killzone series so there's a lot of pedigree there and I was gobsmacked, while watching it unfold. Now for the 2 elephants in the room and you know what they are Final Fantasy VII remake not a remaster, and of course The Last Guardian, I still get goosebumps just typing this thinking of that night.
Final Fantasy VII Remake a game Square Enix said they would never do, they had some conditions it could come to pass but basically where not even possible. You can not create lighting in the same bottle twice if that was their criteria. My how things have changed for Sony to have them debut this game at their conference over all others is a Massive win, remember Square Enix also hosted their own conference the next day.
Some people of course were shocked it was not a Playstation exclusive... really you know how much it would cost for that. I know the PS4 is doing damn well, but even the likes of a Microsoft could not afford to have that game as a console exclusive, it has that type of status.
Going into that night people knew Square Enix had their own the next day and when that appeared on the screen during Sony's I actually broke out in tears. Not because it is a game I hold in the same reverence as others do, I actually think VIII is a better game and XII I did love Crisis Core though, but I cried tears of joy for all the people I know who have only dreamed of this. We have since learned there will be some liberties taken with the original games framework, but so long as the story is intact or closes issues, bring it on.
The Last Guardian what can be said that has not been said a million times before, I will say it now I called the game Vaporware until that night, just view my google + comments over the past months. No gameplay, no mention it is vaporware and be done with it, then that magical night happened I got what I wanted. I had a timeframe, I had in engine capture are real gameplay, not a sizzle reel as it is called in the industry. Sony gets a big thumbs up from me because they did not have to do this, they really didn't most had written this game off 3+ yrs ago not like it needed it to boost sales. Playstation 4 is dominating the market and selling faster then any console in History IIRC, last i looked it has over 70% market share in parts of continental Europe etc. So it is not that they had to make this a reality they are doing fine without it, so to me this was for the gamers.
They had showed it ages ago and we never forgot, but it appeared they had, and when they kept seeing us always ask about it they made the decision. We need to make this a reality no matter what it takes we owe it to the fans, and Sony has a STNG moment, "Make it so #1, Engage" and we saw the results. They are to be commended for this because it is not like they had to, they would have got a free pass if they had said look sorry we just can make it how we envisioned, it is cancelled, our eyes where bigger then our abilities.
To wrap up part one I will quick hit a few items, Destiny.... meh Landing COD as the new home is a major coup, I laughed my butt off watching Twitter and Facebook explode in the morning after the Microsoft conference, " WTF where is Call of Duty " so that was a a Kodak moment for Sony being the new home of COD. Dreams looked quirky as Media Molecule games usually are, not my cup of tea but was a new IP from a established studio with a great track record. I also felt so bad for Devolver Digital having to try follow Final Fantasy VII remake, I doubt few even saw that montage.
So thats it for part 1 I will post part two sometime over the weekend or early next week where I will get into Nintendo, and a synopsis of the other main players at the show. till then as I always do..
Final Fantasy VII Remake a game Square Enix said they would never do, they had some conditions it could come to pass but basically where not even possible. You can not create lighting in the same bottle twice if that was their criteria. My how things have changed for Sony to have them debut this game at their conference over all others is a Massive win, remember Square Enix also hosted their own conference the next day.
Some people of course were shocked it was not a Playstation exclusive... really you know how much it would cost for that. I know the PS4 is doing damn well, but even the likes of a Microsoft could not afford to have that game as a console exclusive, it has that type of status.
Going into that night people knew Square Enix had their own the next day and when that appeared on the screen during Sony's I actually broke out in tears. Not because it is a game I hold in the same reverence as others do, I actually think VIII is a better game and XII I did love Crisis Core though, but I cried tears of joy for all the people I know who have only dreamed of this. We have since learned there will be some liberties taken with the original games framework, but so long as the story is intact or closes issues, bring it on.
The Last Guardian what can be said that has not been said a million times before, I will say it now I called the game Vaporware until that night, just view my google + comments over the past months. No gameplay, no mention it is vaporware and be done with it, then that magical night happened I got what I wanted. I had a timeframe, I had in engine capture are real gameplay, not a sizzle reel as it is called in the industry. Sony gets a big thumbs up from me because they did not have to do this, they really didn't most had written this game off 3+ yrs ago not like it needed it to boost sales. Playstation 4 is dominating the market and selling faster then any console in History IIRC, last i looked it has over 70% market share in parts of continental Europe etc. So it is not that they had to make this a reality they are doing fine without it, so to me this was for the gamers.
They had showed it ages ago and we never forgot, but it appeared they had, and when they kept seeing us always ask about it they made the decision. We need to make this a reality no matter what it takes we owe it to the fans, and Sony has a STNG moment, "Make it so #1, Engage" and we saw the results. They are to be commended for this because it is not like they had to, they would have got a free pass if they had said look sorry we just can make it how we envisioned, it is cancelled, our eyes where bigger then our abilities.
To wrap up part one I will quick hit a few items, Destiny.... meh Landing COD as the new home is a major coup, I laughed my butt off watching Twitter and Facebook explode in the morning after the Microsoft conference, " WTF where is Call of Duty " so that was a a Kodak moment for Sony being the new home of COD. Dreams looked quirky as Media Molecule games usually are, not my cup of tea but was a new IP from a established studio with a great track record. I also felt so bad for Devolver Digital having to try follow Final Fantasy VII remake, I doubt few even saw that montage.
So thats it for part 1 I will post part two sometime over the weekend or early next week where I will get into Nintendo, and a synopsis of the other main players at the show. till then as I always do..
Be nice to each other, it's only a game
Monday, 29 June 2015
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.
I will before week's end post my thoughts on who won etc, you maybe surprised, actually I know you will.
Monday, 18 May 2015
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.
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.
- Forza Horizon
- Forza Motorsport 5
- Project Spark
- Titanfall
- Ryse (Son of Rome)
- Halo (The Master Chief Collection)
- Sunset Overdrive.
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.
- Knack
- Infamous Second Son
- The Order 1886
- Little Big Planet 3
- Bloodborne.
- Drive Club
- Killzone Shadowfall
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
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