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

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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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?

 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..

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

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.

This needs to happen

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

My thoughts on all the delayed games

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

As always be nice to each other

David

E3 Show times list is complete

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

New update on Destiny 1.2.0 patch

So the patch is coming today, and they have outlined what it includes. I highly suggest all destiny players read it and I mean all of it as it has 2 parts, There is some advice given by Bungie regarding Legendary Engrams, fixes that will interest most of us players. There will be another update dropping the Afternoon of May 19th 2015 when House of Wolves go live.read all the details and changes on the Bungie website

Destiny Patch 1.2.0 goes live today

This comes straight from the Bungie help desk on Twitter as always check The Bungie website Remember Xur is also in the Tower starting today, though you may wish to hold off. We have no idea what the new vendors in the Reef will be selling starting next week
"Patch 1.2.0 goes live today! You will need to return to the title screen to take the update. Players will not be kicked from activities."