Another week gone. Its time for the wrap up of the week that was. Not too much went on considering all the real big news was revealed at Gamescom last weekend which I covered already, but there were some pretty cool things this week.
Buying a PS4 game through your Smartphone causes your PS4 to wake up, download the game and go back to sleep
Pretty cool feature to have if you ask me. Nice to know that I can be browsing on my lunch break at work, find a new game that looks interesting, buy it and have it ready for me to play the second I get back home. Nice going Sony for implementing this feature and I am sure something similar will be announced for the Xbox One as well.
Nintendo Announces 2DS
Trying to get ahead in the handheld market, Nintendo unveiled the 2DS this week. Basically its a 3DS without the 3D features at a lower price and no hinges. There has been some backlash over the design of the device but honestly, its not as bad as everyone is making it out to seem. Sure it looks a but bulky because it cannot fold like the 3DS but Nintendo is marketing the device towards children (even though I feel a majority of adults will buy the thing) and what was the most broken part of the 3DS? The damn hinges! I'm sure if people are used to holding a tablet device, the 2DS will fit right in and at a lower price point than the 3DS I can totally see Nintendo once again gaining a huge influx of users in their handheld market. I know I will be picking one up for sure because I was never into the 3D aspect of the DS and with tons of great games already out for the DS with tons more to come in the next year, this is the perfect opportunity to dive back into handheld gaming.
Bethesda "pushing" to let you play The Elder Scrolls Online on Xbox One without Xbox Live Gold
The first major push back to the system that I have heard of. Good for Bethesda trying to break down the paywall that Microsoft has in place but also looking from another perspective you can tell that maybe Bethesda is worried about how TESO will sell considering they announced the game will be subscription based. That means you pay for Xbox Live AND TESO every month instead of just one source. Though I feel nothing will happen on Microsoft's side and they will stay strong on the Xbox Live stance, it is refreshing to think that maybe developers are trying make their games more accessible, even though in this case, it doesn't really make that much of a difference because you will still have to pay for TESO...
Watch Dogs to receive exclusive effects and features on PC
Finally! A good console port to PC! More often than not these days, PC gamers have been getting pushed to the side by developers in favor of the consoles. Yes PC has the most games but lately there have been a ton of very poor console ports that do not let the PC users adjust graphical and sound settings to their fullest potential on their rigs. I just recently built a new gaming rig and even with the overkill hardware I have in there, some games just won't look good no matter what because the developers decided that adding in graphical features for the PC release was not worth it. Thank you to the team behind Watch Dogs at Ubisoft for considering the PC gamers and their ability to really push graphics to the next level.
That's all I have that really caught my attention this week. Like I said, it was a fairly slow week due to all the major things that came out of Gamescom last week. A few new trailers were released, so if you have a few minutes I highly recommend checking out War Thunder Heroes, the new GTAV trailer, and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture trailer. I will post them below for you all to enjoy. Also, if you haven't yet, go check out my last post where I covered violence in video games. I have gotten a ton of responses from it and I appreciate everyone that has taken the time to read through it. And I know I say this every week but I will be making a few videos for my youtube channel to check out and as I have said previously I have a few ideas for CONTESTS I want to put together but I need you all to follow me on Twitter and like my page on Facebook (sorry but social media is a must these days. I promise once I get more followers and likes I will do some major things) for a chance to win some awesome games!
Following the recent story about the 8 year old Louisiana boy who shot and killed his 87 year old caregiver, I feel it is an appropriate time to address the ongoing debate of violence in video games. Even though the police said they did not know the motive behind the killing, the media covering the story is quick to blame video games as the cause of the tragedy. They reported on how the child was playing Grand Theft Auto IV just before the shooting. Back in November of last year in Connecticut (my home state) where a mentally disturbed individual (I am not writing his name, you know who he was) went into an elementary school and killed 26, the media was once again quick to blame video games as a source of the aggression and a trigger for the tragedy, completely disregarding the fact that the killer was known to be mentally unstable and his parents were unwilling to seek help. They had reported the killers love for playing Call of Duty for long times "One person, whose name was redacted in a search warrant, described [the killer] as a shut-in who rarely left home and played military-style video games." The media has been very quick to place the blame on video games in many recent tragedies and will continue to do so because it gives them a quick scape-goat and it attacks another media form to protect itself (I will explain this later).
I have been playing video games for the majority of my life. I remember my first games and what I thought about each game in reference to reality. One thing that is very often under looked and undervalued when talking about this subject is parenting. My parents raised me to be respectful of people and from an early age, taught me the lessons I needed to know to separate fantasy from reality. My parents monitored my time on video games and did the research necessary to know whether a certain game would be proper for me at different ages. My parents taught me right from wrong and how guns are not to be seen as toys. My parents came to me when they felt there was something wrong and offered their help to get through tough situations in my life. Far too often these days parents do not engage with their children and really set good examples for them. My parents are my role models for life, I look up to them and I respect them for who they are and what they have done to help me better my life and understand the responsibilities and realities of the real world. I know sometimes it is not possible for children to have good relationships with their parents (divorce, abuse, etc.) and because of that they loose touch with reality and have no moral compass to guide them in life. This is the fault of the parents, not anyone or anything else. I and many others in the gaming communities are sick and tired of video games being the problem with the youth of today who carry out horrific acts. It is not the responsibility of the game developers to tone down their ART because some people cannot handle it. You do not see movies or television being front and center as often as video games when tragedies occur when I can make an argument that some movies are WAY more influential in driving a mental state of a person to carry out heinous acts (quick side note: I went to see Elysium a couple of weeks ago and a parent brought their what looked to be 8 and 10 year old children to see it with them). Parents need to know their child and help them if needed, not ignore them and then kick them to the curb come their 18th birthday.
Another fact that seems to be overlooked in the case of the Louisiana boy that I feel was somewhat disturbing was that no one really called out the parents for how easy it was for the boy to gain access to the gun. I am all for owning a gun but you have to be responsible about it! If you have children (even if you don't) you NEED to keep that gun FAR from their reach. The neglect and disregard for safety really falls on the parent. How is it that an 8 YEAR OLD can just pick up a gun that easily? That gun should be under lock and key at all times and even after that, you as a parent need to start talking to your child and explaining to them the responsibility of having a gun and what they can do and how they should never be used until they are of age when a supervisor can teach them how to properly and safely use them.
Video games such as the mentioned Grand Theft Auto series are given ratings by which parents buying the games can assess if it is an appropriate buy for their child. Grand Theft Auto is NOT a game meant for elementary school children! Regardless of that though, you as a parent need to do research and make your own decision for your child. I will say that my parents never bought me Mature rated and if I was able to get my hands on one in some other way, they would teach me responsibility and make sure I knew the consequences in reality. I played a lot of First Person Shooters growing up (Unreal Tournament, Quake, Battlefield 1942, Dark Forces, etc...) and so did many of my friends, and we all saw these games as just a fun time. We all had fun playing games and it never once occurred to me that "Hey, I think I want to try this out in real life", all I thought about was the fun time I was having being immersed in the story of the world or relaxing with friends or admiring the visual graphics in a brand new game that pushed technology forward. All this being said, the media needs something to blame for terrible tragedies that they can make shocking points about and play off peoples fear of something they do not fully understand. Its very easy to make the point of "Grand Theft Auto is a game where you can kill anyone, steal cars, buy drugs and prostitutes, and create chaos throughout an entire city with no regard for any law. Children all over are playing this game and it is the reason why the youth of today have higher aggression and disregard of any authority." Sound familiar? What the media fails to report on is what else is going on in the child's life. Are the parents involved? Why aren't the parents to blame at all? I mean they obviously bought the child the game which 1. has the M for Mature label on it and 2. THE NAME OF THE GAME IS A FELONY! Those 2 things weren't red flags to the parent? Oh and how did the child end up with access to a firearm? Shouldn't the parent be to blame for keeping it so accessible?
The youth of today is moving away from televised news. I know I get ALL of my information from online sources nowadays. I never watch the news on television on purpose and I feel that in some ways, that is why these news sources are attacking another media form. Television media is losing viewers daily and to make up for this they need to sensationalize stories to draw people back in. Attacking other media and art forms leads misinformed parents to call for bans of those outlets. No one wants to report on the real issue which is a lack of parenting and failure to address mental instability. No one wants to admit their child is mentally unstable or disturbed and that's why many turn away from reality and that is when tragedy happens. In the case of Newtown, if the warning signs were taken seriously and proper medical attention and mental therapy were introduced in the killers life, then I believe the tragedy would have been avoided. In the case in Louisiana, if proper parenting and proper gun ownership were followed, then the situation is avoided. There is a difference between an 8 year old playing a Mario game and a Grand Theft Auto game, there is a difference between LEGO video games and Call of Duty, and it is the parents responsibility to talk to their children and understand what is appropriate for them to view. How are video games any more influential than R rated movies or violent television shows? It is all just media sensationalism because they need something to blame for the irresponsibility of a parent.
This was more of a rant than anything and I wanted to open a discussion on the topic and see what people think. After re-reading this post I understand that it is all over the place and I really shouldn't post it but I need to, not because I want to inform people (I really do but I am just terrible at writing) but I want to try and get across my point that video games are not to blame for senseless tragedies and that YOU as a parent (or future parent) need to be there for your child(ren) and monitor their actions. Do not ignore the little things. Take action if you think something is wrong or off. Be there for your child if they need you and love them. Video games are an art form. They tell stories and create whole worlds to immerse the players in. They are not "murder simulators" as some would like to lead you to believe. If you don't understand them, do your research, hell even sit down and play one or two if you never have before, you might really enjoy the experience! But when tragedies strike, don't blame the game, find out what was really going on and make an informed decision. If you believe that video games have the potential to truly make me a killer then step back and ask yourself the same question about television, movies, books, and the environment around you.
PS. I want to thank my mom and dad for the way they raised me. They were there for me when I needed them and they taught me the morals I live my life by. Nothing can compare to how important they were to me growing up and I appreciate everything they have done for me. When it comes to video games, they did the right thing and now I can look back on those times and say with 100% confidence that they made the correct choices for me and my mental capacity when letting me play games. They taught me respect and responsibility and really engrained the fantasy vs reality aspect in my mind. I love them both very much and I always will. Thank you mom and dad, for making me a better person.
And with that I will have my week in review for everyone posted tomorrow. Leave comments on this post on your feelings towards the subject and lets see if we can get some good discussions going.
So my last post covered the pre-Gamescom press conferences from Sony, EA and Microsoft. Now that the show is officially open to the public, I figured I would detail all the other announcements and new gameplay/trailer videos coming out of the European expo from the developer studios. First I will cover games and include their trailers, and then I will touch on some news topics that have generated some buzz within the community.
TITANFALL
Just because of how awesome this game looks, I have to start with Titanfall. This game looks MASSIVE! Xbox fans rejoice at what is looking to be the first big blockbuster game of the next-generation. I am extremely thankful to Respawn (the developers) for making a PC version of the game so I will be able to enjoy it as well. Hopefully this giant lives up to the hype surrounding it and if its as good as its looking, this will really help Microsoft sell some Xbox One units in the coming months.
DIABLO III: Reaper of Souls expansion
No matter how you feel about the direction Blizzard took the Diablo franchise with the latest installment, one thing is certain... They really know how to make kick ass cinematics! Now, while there have been many negative reactions to Diablo III, and it was a mixed bag of reception when the game was released, I think Blizzard has still managed to create an enjoyable experience TO AN EXTENT. I will come right out and say that I ENJOYED Diablo III. Did I love it? No. But I did enjoy playing it and while it never lived up to the MASSIVE hype I had for it because of Diablo II and how timeless that game was, going back to the series that I have grown with was a nice experience. There are many things I hate about it: I.E. making the end game pretty much force you to use the real money auction house to gear up with microtransactions, the story was a bit lackluster (but so was Diablo II and the original story), gameplay mechanics and the option to redo skill trees at any time really took away from the replayability that was there in Diablo II. All this said, I am looking forward to what Blizzard has added to the world and I will once again jump in and I expect another ENJOYABLE experience but nothing more.
MURDERED: Soul Suspect
After a bit was shown at E3 earlier this year, Square-Enix revealed a new trailer for the upcoming action-adventure murder mystery game developed by Airtight games who brought us the wonderfully fun game Quantum Conundrum last year. This game, however, if far and away removed from the fun/light-hearted setting of Quatum Conundrum. The dark and gritty setting sees you play as detective Ronan O'Connor who is gunned down by a mysterious assailant. You then have to use you wits in the ethereal as a ghost to solve the mystery all while tangling with the demonic diziens of the other world. Cool concept, and the dark setting have me intrigued. I am looking forward to more information about this one.
RYSE: Son of Rome
Everything I see from Ryse just isn't sitting right with me. Sure it looks beautiful, but all new games are looking visually stunning. Looking deeper and trying to figure out mechanics and gameplay style, Ryse just seems like it brings nothing new to the table. The multiplayer arena was shown in a trailer along with some cool Co-Op options involved but I am just not excited for this. I will keep my eyes open for early reviews once this Xbox One launch title hits and maybe that will sway me but right now, this is another generic hack/slash in the same vein as the God of War series.
KNACK
This PS4 launch title looks like its geared up to be the next in line for a fun loving game with great story and character development a-la Jack and Daxter or Ratchet and Clank. KNACK is like if Pixar took a great story and instead of making a movie, just made a video game. Very small snippets of gameplay were shown so there is not much to go by on that aspect, but the story does look fun and the characters seem enjoyable.
CHIVALRY: Deadliest Warrior
One of the most fun online experiences I have had in a long time has been playing Chivalry: Medieval Warfare. The announcement of the Deadliest Warrior expansion has me worried. Torn Banner created such a great game (while it still has a lot of bugs that need to be worked on) that was insanely fun for me and my friends that I have a bad feeling it will all come tumbling down with this expansion. First of all, they have teamed up with Spike TV (more than likely for monetary reasons) to incorporate a new set of weapons and factions (Spartans and Samurai!) based on the TV show Deadliest Warrior (not the most historically accurate show). Second, what made Medieval Warfare great was being able to feel immersed in an epic battle to defend a castle as an archer or pillage a town as a knight or battle gladiator style in an arena, but now that immersion has been taken away. I can't help but feel silly in a weird way of a knight battling a Samurai or a vanguard taking on a Spartan warrior. I'm sure I will still grab this on release but I only pray that they have some ways to keep the historical timelines separate (Samurai vs. Samurai etc.) and also i hope Torn Banner isn't looking at this as just a cash grab because that would be disappointing.
BATMAN: Arkham Origins
More more more more! I love me some Batman and Origins looks to pick up and carry the caped crusaders torch further. More villains (Black Mask, Deathstroke, FIREFLY!) and a great story to back it up have me excited. October 25th needs to get here now. The only apprehension I have is that the series may start to become stagnant but I don't see that happening as long as the story is great and hell, with all the source material to pick and choose from, I don't see anything stopping the Bat train.
KILLZONE: Shadow Fall
The PS4 launch title and what has now become a staple series for the platform looks great but as I said about Ryse for Xbox, everything in next-gen looks great. Will Shadow Fall add something new and innovative to shake up the series? It really doesn't look like it. Either way, I will keep an eye on Shadow Fall and the multiplayer does intrigue me so maybe after it is out for a bit I can better assess this title
WATCH DOGS
With the hype at fever pitch now, this new franchise from Ubisoft has got to be at the top of everyones list as a must have. Gameplay videos and everything being released looks very impressive and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Here's to a bright future for a new IP that is looking to change the industry with its unique story, environment and gameplay.
Other games shown at the expo that are big hitters have been:
Dead Rising 3, Destiny, Dying Light, Assassin's Creed IV, Battlefield 4, Call of Duty: Ghosts, The Division, and Thief. Each game has its merits and the next-gen is looking incredibly strong so be on the lookout for an onslaught of content and new games in the coming months. Everything looks fantastic so far but only few will become benchmarks for the next generations and live on as legendary games in the eyes of the community. No one know for sure who will come out on top and lead the way once the console wars officially kick off but one thing is very certain and that is it is an AMAZING time to be a gamer and it's only going to get better!
Onto the news part of Gamescom!
The Division Confirmed for PC
First up there was the short video released by Ubisoft that CONFIRMS the release of THE DIVISION on PC! I never really had any doubt that this game wasn't going to see a PC release but I am pleasntly surprised that is will be soon. While they did not go into detail about when it will be released in comparison to the console versions of the game, I can't see it being THAT far behind the others. For a time after this game was first announced at E3, it was a factor motivating me to purchase a next-gen console but now I don't have to fear that and I will be picking it up on PC.
GFWL is DEAD!
Coming off the announcement that Batman: Arkham Origins will be dropping the Games for Windows Live service, Microsoft has revealed that they plan to discontinue the service as a whole on July 1, 2014. I HATE GFWL so I only see this as a great thing. With the recent addition of the former Steam Director, Jason Holtman, to the Microsoft team, GFWL will die and another service will probably come about from them. Hopefully the shake up over there will lead to a better platform.
Elder Scrolls Online
Bethesda announced the new MMO based in the Elder Scrolls world will use a subscription based model and use cash shops in game. Mixed feelings about this one because while I LOVE the Elder Scrolls games, this seems more and more like a cash grab to Bethesda than an actual attempt to bring the world to the players in an enjoyable setting. The subscription model seems to be going away for a lot of new games (Guild Wars 2 is one time pay to buy the game, even World of Warcraft has mentioned moving away from the monthly subscription model!) but on the other hand, if it is handled the was WoW was handled and if that is still a viable option, it could keep the content up to a considerably high standard which is what made WoW so great when it started. Although the early beta footage looks pretty generic and it doesn't seem to bring anything new to the table in terms of MMO's, I will always be interested in Elder Scroll games so I will continue to follow the development closely.
Minecraft coming to PS3/4 and Vita
What many thought to be a console exclusive for Microsoft, the insanely popular Minecraft was announced for the Sony lineup as well. Very big for the little indie game that really broke open the market and a slight blow to Microsoft.
TwitchTV now also included as a streaming service for PS4
When this as announced during the Sony press conference I had to pause for a second because it was said so casually when it really is a big deal. Going into the conference it was well known that Twitch was going to be used by Microsoft and the less popular Ustream was going to be used by Sony for streaming services on the new consoles. Well what the hell happened to that!? Yet another blow to Microsoft and a boost for Sony (it was never said that Ustream was dropped so will there be an option to use either on the PS4?) in the market and GREAT news all around for Twitch (I hope their servers don't start Armageddon though)
There was a ton more content covered at Gamescom and its proving too much for my hands to handle (RSI/carpal tunnel damn you!). Maybe if I have time next weekend I will make a long video covering everything that went on at the event (including e-sports. Starcraft WCS Season 2 finals going on right now!) but for now I think I covered the most buzz-worthy announcements and hottest games.
Gamescom has officially kicked off and the European mega show, as always, leads the way with new information from the industry. Yesterday, before the expo officially opened its doors to the public, we were all treated to press conferences by EA and Sony. EA showcased their upcoming titles and new features they hope to implement with their next generation of games and Sony officially announced the release date of the PS4 while also showing a few new features of the PS4 not shown at E3 along with a more attractive line up for the PSVita. Microsoft held a private conference and has stayed relatively quiet thus far, possibly still reeling from their PR nightmare that was E3 (better to keep their mouths shut now and just nod yes at the consumers demands). They do have a very solid exclusive line up announced but will that be enough to sway people back to the Xbox while Sony kept riding their wave further down stream? Here are my takeaways from the conferences:
Microsoft
Had to watch a cam video of this conference since Microsoft did not do a formal public press event. A few games were shown but nothing new in that department. Microsoft made a big talking point on Indie development and the self publishing platform for Xbox One. Things like no fees for publishing and the announcement of providing Development Kits to indie studios at no cost until the consumer version of Xbox One is brought up to the standard of being a Development Kit itself was nice to hear from them. Then they showcased a few games like the new Fable Legends and gave a teaser video for The Fighter Within which is using the new Kinect, a small video for The Division showcasing the use of the companion device (smartglass/tablet), the mention of their partnership with Mojang and the availability of Minecraft while showing new footage for Cobalt from Mojang, and then it ended with Call of Duty: Ghosts. Kinect was then brought up with all the new features and how it is a great improvement to the Xbox360 version of Kinect. Kinect Sports Rivals was then shown off with the feature of creating your very own personalized champion for the game. Microsoft then touched on their partnership with EA, announcing that Plants vs Zombies Garden Warfare and Peggle 2 will be released first for Xbox One before being released to the rest of the consoles. The partnership also included exclusive features for FIFA 14 which is huge for the European market. That marked the end of the presentation from Microsoft. As I said above, it was a very informal very quiet presentation that alleviated some apprehension about the console and gave the consumer some thoughts to re-evaluate the company moving into the holiday season.
EA
EA came out to showcase their big games for this year and next, and how their games have evolved using the next-gen systems. Even with all the controversy that has surrounded the company in the past due to bad business practices and poor execution, EA seemed to be coming into Gamescom with a little bit of momentum due to their recently released Humble Origin Bundle that was made available last week. The publishing giant has started to play damage control and seems to be on its way to redemption, but only time will tell. First up for them was a showcase of The Sims 4. Just another entry in the beloved series that will push the limitations of the player to greater bounds. The new F2P Command & Conquer was shown briefly as a multiplayer event (most scripted gameplay EVER). Seems like they might try and make an e-sport out of this title (2 "casters" were providing play by play). A developers blog was shown for Dragon Age: Inquisition and this next-gen title is starting to look more and more impressive. Hopefully the game will fix what the previous installments in the series have failed at and will be an enjoyable experience. New features and information was then revealed for the much anticipated Plants vs Zombies: Garden Warfare. The ability to play as the zombies and an all new "Boss Mode" was shown. I couldn't be happier at the opportunity that has been given to Popcap. the original PvZ was an amazingly fun and hilarious game and for them to be given the backing of a big publisher and more money to work with is great news for them and I wish them the best of luck on future titles. EA Sports UFC was then presented showing off the dynamic body rendering and the brutality of the fights on the engine. For fans of the UFC, this is looking like a visually impressive release that will further blur lines of reality vs technology. Need for Speed Rivals was then looked at. As I am not much of a racing fan (barring Burnout) I can't say much for the title although the graphics look stunningly beautiful and the customization options seem endless. Next up was Titanfall and wow wow wow this game is looking great! The Xbox One (and PC!) exclusive from Respawn is poised to be first big heavy hitter on a next-gen system. More information on FIFA 14 was then shown. Things like FIFA Legends and the showcasing of online play look to bring players a more social and involved experience with the top selling sports franchise game on the market. Finally to close out the conference was Battlefield 4. The beta was announced as being early October with the formal release on October 29. The main attraction was the showing off of more features that the Frostbite 3 engine can do including what they call "levolution" which creates dynamic environments for players (a very ambitious goal). Start up the debate on Battlefield vs Call of Duty once more.
Sony
Sony had plenty to present in their conference. Sony really focused on the "Playstation ecosystem" they have created using the PS3, PS4 and PSVita. The show opened to a navigation of the PS4 OS showing the fluid movement between games and other processes. The real show then kicked off with the showcase of the new Grand Turismo 6 coming in December for PS3 along with a full length feature film that was inspired by the GT series being in development. Little Big Planet has been given a free to play game for PS3 called Hub which seems to involve a lot of social interaction between players. Also announced was Sonys relationship with Rockstar for Grand Theft Auto V and timed exclusives for the PS3.
The next part of the conference focused on the PSVita. Firstly a price drop was announced (down to $199) then came the games:
Batman Arkham Origins
LEGO Marvel
Football Manager
Borderlands 2 (really impressed that this made it to a handheld console, really shows where technology is)
A few indie games (Starbound, Fez, Future Lab)
Then Sony touched on indie development within the Playstation ecosystem and showed off a few of those like Murasaki Baby (interesting art style / very Tim Burton esque), Big Fest (great concept for discovering music, especially unsigned bands), Rogue Legacy, Hotline Miami, N++, Volume (made by Thomas Was Alone creator Mike Bithell) Guns of Icarus Online, and Wasteland Kings.
Finally, Sony moved on to the PS4. Harping on their talk of indie development, the first game shown was Everybody's Gone to the Rapture from the indie studio The Chinese Room who created Dear Esther. This visually beautiful game is looking like a spiritual successor to the Myst games of the past. Next shown was Rime from Tequila Works. This artsy adventure game looks like if Ico and The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker had a child. Moving to the more notable games, a trailer for the re-imagination of the 1989 classic Shadow of the Beast was shown, then came new footage for Infamous: Second Sun followed by Killzone: Shadow Fall. Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag was then shown along with a new feature that can be used between the PS4 and PSVita called remote play. Basically the feature lets you play your PS4 games on the Vita which to me is a very attractive feature and really shows off what Sony means when they talk about the "Playstation ecosystem". Remote play using the Vita is a great integration tool to sell more of the handheld device. After that feature, Ubisoft came out and showed a bit more footage of the much anticipated Watch Dogs along with an announcement of a feature film in the works
With all the games set for the PS4, they announced some rather unexpected features. At E3, it was said that Ustream was going to be the featured streaming host for the PS4, but at this event, the directors announced the use of TwitchTV coming to PS4. What was thought to be a Microsoft exclusive has now been integrated with the competitor. This to me, was HUGE for Sony. Ustream is good at what it does but Twitch is by far the most popular and most recognizable streaming service available, so to see that snatched up is a big win for Sony when it was thought that the streaming giant was going to be held exclusively by Microsoft. For all you Europeans out there, Sony announced plans to work with service providers to bring broadband packages to Europe which may alleviate the dreadful internet speed that is seen in some parts of Europe, a big win in the EU market. Other points brought up were the price drop for the PS3 (12GB for $199) and the statement that there have been over 1 million pre-orders for the PS4 which is fantastic news for the company.
So that was a run down of the major announcements made before the expo officially kicked off to the public. Tomorrow I will cover all the other games announced and various news coming out of Europe (News for the new Diablo III expansion, Destiny, The Elder Scrolls Online, and plenty more).
After a short break, I am now back with the Week in Review! This is more like a half month in review since i missed the past few weeks so i will cover the big stories. Lots of exciting things happening and tons more to come. Next week is Gamescom in Germany which will lead into some spectacular September releases and the holiday season. With the time getting closer and closer to the release of the PS4 and XboxOne, there will be a lot of new information and announcements in the coming months. With all that said, lets take a look at what has been going on:
Alliance Wins The International 3 earning $1.4 Million
Let me first start this off with saying that I love e-sports and I have really enjoyed watching the scene grow in the past few years. I mainly follow Starcraft 2 and because of that community I always seemed to have a kind of smugness against watching MOBAs. League of Legends never appealed to me mainly because of their community which I view as immature (Yes SC2 is full of immature people as well, I am very aware!), I tried to play Heros of Newerth a while back and hated it, and then DOTA 2 which was long in Beta was just there and I never touched it because of the experiences I had in other MOBAs. The International 3 was the first time I actually really sat down and tried to enjoy watching as a competitive sport. Wow is all I have to say. The production value was through the roof, the casters were amazing, the experts were wonderful, and the players were top notch. Even though I know little about the games mechanics, I found myself totally invested into the games being played and rooting for players and teams that I knew nothing about (some teams like Alliance, Na'Vi, Team Liquid, and Dignitas have an SC2 division). Overall, this was an absolutely amazing tournament and congratulations go to Alliance for taking home the $1.4 million prize. The sky is the limit for DOTA with Valve revealing that the concurrent views hit a peak at over 1 million at times. I see DOTA 2 overtaking all others by next year as the top and most popular e-sport in the world.
GTA V coming to PC sooner than expected?
Nvidia revealed that a PC version of GTA V is coming to us a lot sooner than thought. On their quarterly conference call, a director mentioned that PC gamers are out there upgrading their rigs to prepare for the release of next gen titles coming this fall "including blockbuster franchises, such as Call of Duty: Ghosts, Grand Theft Auto V and Assassin's Creed IV." -Chris Evenden, Senior Director of Investor Relations- Does this confirm a holiday release for GTA V on PC? Rockstar has not said anything yet on the matter but with all the reports surrounding a PC release, soon than later would be wise for them.
Bioshock Infinite DLC brings the players back to Rapture
The fine people at Irrational games released information about the upcoming DLC for Bioshock Infinite and released the first set to coincide with the announcement. The Clash in the Clouds DLC was released and information about the future was revealed. Clash in the Clouds is a series of arena style combat challenges set in Colombia. Playing through these is a fun little hold over until the real heavy hitter is released. The two part Burial at Sea DLC is bringing players back to Rapture the night before its fall. With the first part set to be released before the years end, the story driven content will see the players once again taking on the role of Booker in part 1 and then in part 2 you get control of Elizabeth. Fans of the series are jumping for joy at the announcement. I for one, cannot wait for this. Bioshock 1 was one of those games that I can look back on and consider it a life changing experience in gaming alongside the likes of Half-Life. Being brought back to the place where it started, this DLC is something I will 100% be picking up the second it is released.
XboxOne removes requirement of Kinect always on
Change after change after change. Microsoft revealed that they have scrapped the requirement of Kinect being always on with XboxOne. This completes the total reversal of policies on XboxOne after the initial reveal. As a consumer, this is great and now I have legitimate reasons to seriously consider buying XboxOne. The PR nightmare that Microsoft created for themselves seems to be almost over. The damage was done though and that shows through pre-order numbers. But now with all the changes, I expect to once again see the console war in full swing, the only things separating XboxOne from PS4 is now hardware and exclusives. Time will tell the real damage done to Microsoft but I believe they will be revived and back in the fray creating healthy competition and driving the gaming industry further up the technological path. The only thing that still has me worried about XboxOne is that it still seems that Microsoft is trying to make it an entertainment console and I feel that may have an affect on the gaming industry as games are one of the many focuses of the product.
Batman: Arkham Origins drops GFWL on PC
THANK GOD! Games For Windows Live has been a disaster! The services has caused headaches for PC gamers getting ports of console titans. The first 2 games in the Batman Arkham series used the service on their PC ports and from my experience have been a nightmare. I had installation problems, saved game problems and backup problems because of GFWL. I shudder at the thought of new games using them, sometimes I really have to take a moment to consider if it is really worth getting the game just because of GFWL. That all said, October 25th cannot come soon enough for me to get my hands on this game. I love the series and hopefully this one stays true and will be another great installment.
Jason Holtman, former Steam director, moves to Microsoft to focus on PC gaming
Man Microsoft is really trying to make up for the past few months! Rumors following the appointment of Jason Holtman seem to signal the end of Games For Windows Live as Valve’s former director of business development for Steam is set to focus on PC gaming for the tech giant. Things may start looking up for Microsoft and only time will tell if the former Steam man can create another challenger in the PC gaming market. Exciting times are coming and Jason is now carrying the torch for Microsoft.
The Humble Origin Bundle is released
I touched on this briefly at the end of yesterdays post but here it is again. No matter how you feel about EA and Origin, if you don't already have the games included in the bundle (Battlefield 3, Dead Space, Dead Space 3, Crysis 2, Burnout Paradise, The Sims 3, Mirrors Edge, and Medal of Honor) then you are insane not to pick this up. Still bitter about it being EA? No problem! All the money goes directly to charity! EA is not seeing a dime from this. Don't like Origin? No big deal! Most of the games (except Battlefield 3, The Sims 3 and Dead Space 3) come with Steam keys as well! As of this writing, the average price you need to pay in order to get all these games is $4.80, and if that is still keeping you from grabbing this then you are lost. You win by getting amazing AAA releases at an EXTREMELY low price, EA wins by making them all available for that low price and getting some positive PR for once, and the charity's win with your donations, there is no loser. GET IT!
That's all I have. There was a lot more that went on but I feel these were the more prominent and more important stories. Like yesterday I posted about the new GTA V and The Witcher 3 trailers, there was also the release trailer for Space Hulk, the release of Saints Row IV and right at the time of writing this a new trailer for Thief was released. Awesome stuff coming out and even more things incoming next week with Gamescom being held in Europe. I have more content I am working on, some videos, more articles (as stated yesterday, I am beginning to write for whatculture.com), and I have some ideas for contests (I have a few game keys I want to give away) but I won't start contests until I get more Twitter followers so be sure to click the link and follow for chances at those keys!
Wow, so I have not made a post in a couple of weeks. I am sorry for that, I was on vacation and was really busy with real life work. Now that everything is settling back down I am jumping right back in where I left off. Tomorrow I will have a week in review post (more like a few weeks in review) where I will weigh in on some of the exciting things that have gone down in the month of August (TI3, some more changes to XboxOne, Saints Row IV, Bioshock Infinite DLC, GTA V hinting a PC release, and more.)
All that said, lets get right down to what Rockstar released today. The new trailer for GTA V showcasing the online multiplayer once again raises the bar on what we can expect from the next installment in the series. As I said in my post about the gameplay trailer a month ago, everything that Rockstar is doing is right. They are making all the right moves, leaving the garbage from previous GTA's behind and really breathing a breath of fresh air into what I was starting to think of as a stagnant series. The more info that is released about GTA V, the more I want this game. Keep up the good work Rockstar!
Yesterday we were all treated to a new trailer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. I am a big fan of the first 2 in the series and I believe they are criminally underrated (The Witcher 2 is one of the most immersive and visually impressive games out there today!) and it looks like 3 is bringing the it to the next level. This cinematic trailer really shows off the next level in graphical fidelity, of course the gameplay wont look as polished as a cinematic, but this trailer is one of the first that I really had to pause for a second to realize that this was a game and not live action, the graphics are just that good. The new REDengine 3 designed by the wonderful development team over at CD projekt RED is looking to challenge the likes of the Frostbite 3 and the yet to be seen Source 2 and Unreal 4 engines. Even though the release is a ways off (right now it is slated for sometime in 2014) the hype has started and it will only grow.
That's all I have for today. I just wanted to make a quick post to say that I am still here and I have a lot in the works for the coming months. I was chosen to be a contributor to whatculture.com so I will be alternating posting things here and over there as the articles I write for them must be exclusive. More gameplay videos, review videos, and e-sports casting videos will be coming soon. I might sit down this weekend and record some type of episode show I want to make (no name yet, suggestions are welcome!) but other than that, come back tomorrow for the week (half month?) in review post and I am back to trudging through Tomb Raider and will write up a review in the next few weeks plus starting new games and keeping the content flowing.
P.S.
The new Humble Bundle was released yesterday and if you have not picked it up, I HIGHLY suggest grabbing it. ~$5 for Battlefield 3, Dead Space, Dead Space 3, Burnout Paradise, Mirrors Edge, Medal of Honor, The Sims 3, AND Crysis 2! Even if you are agains EA and Origin, most games come with a Steam key and all the money goes to Charity! I have my opinions about EA but this is seriously one of the best deals I have ever seen. Get it and I will see you out there!
