Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
****I want to preface this post by taking some time to announce that I have officially joined the team over at IndieJuice! My first post was published last night which you can read here about my thoughts on Ubisoft's handling of the upcoming game Watch_Dogs, and I was also a guest last night on the Indiejuice Podcast which was recorded live on twitch and will be available to listen to on the website sometime this weekend (I think Saturday) but I will post that here once it is up. I am extremely excited to be part of the great team over there and I hope to contribute quality posts and generate some good discussions.****
Another week gone as we get closer and closer to E3! Some exciting things coming out of the industry in the build up to the biggest gaming convention in the world. I personally am looking forward to seeing the press conference from Sony as they were (In My Opinion) the top dogs at last years convention while Microsoft has some making up to do which they sort have started to in the lead up to the event.
And with that, let's take a look at the week that was:
Microsoft to sell XboxOne without Kinect
AKA Microsoft admitting Kinect sucks. Hey, they had to do something to boost sales right? PS4 has been dominating the market since launch and Microsoft only "won" one month since which was March and that was because of Titanfall. Well the hype around Titanfall has died down and PS4 got right back on top in April so it seems that Microsoft needed to do something drastic and this seems to be it. By removing Kinect, you are basically telling developers that you don't believe in your own hardware to a certain extent. Sure the price point of an XboxOne has now dropped to a competitive $399 but is that what was really holding back sales? I don't think so. If you look at the XboxOne and PS4 releases you will see that Sony clearly has the edge when it comes to games and quality. I think removing Kinect was a step in the right direction, but ultimately Microsoft needs competitive titles to move the system and right now it does not have very many. This years E3 is HUGE for Microsoft. You did the damage control, now tell me why you won't screw up again and what's in it for me.
FarCry 4 Announced
Actually excited for this release. Ubisoft had hinted at the title and I believe had confirmed its existence a few months ago but that's as far as that went. Just yesterday though, they officially announced the game in which "players find themselves in Kyrat, a breathtaking, perilous and wild region of the Himalayas struggling under the regime of a despotic self-appointed king." So I expect another super insane villain (and snazzy dresser according to the box art) with a great story and an interesting new environment. The game launches on November 18 of this year for PS4, PS3, XboxOne, Xbox360, and PC (though the PS3 and Xbox360 version have me worried about the graphics on their successor systems, but we will see). Hopefully (Likely) we get a cool video at E3 this year and I can't wait to see where they take the franchise next. (Also I eagerly await Blood Dragon 2!)
Watch_Dogs to run at 900p on PS4 and 792p on XboxOne both 30FPS
This was the topic of my post over at indiejuice so go check out the full article here. I will keep this brief but basically Watch_Dogs has been handled very poorly by Ubisoft. A game that they were boasting about being a true next gen experience is just not going to hit that mark at 900 and 792p and 30FPS. Frankly, the whole ordeal has been embarrassing and even though I am going to play it (on PC of course) the hype is lost with me. I hope I enjoy it but I wouldn't be surprised if its a let down. We will all see in a couple of weeks.
Halo 5 coming Fall 2015
Ah Ha! So this is what Microsoft needs to get back in the game! Right.... but just one thing, its being released a year and a half from now! Sorry Microsoft but you'll have to do better than that. I am sure the game will sell well and will push a few more consoles out the door but its SO FAR AWAY! The one good thing to take from the announcement its that 343 is promising 60FPS (no word on resolution though) so at least it should look stunning on XboxOne. Overall, I am just over the hype for Halo. Ever since Bungie left, Halo has been just another shooter. Come on Microsoft! I may not have an XboxOne but that doesn't mean I don't want healthy competition! And right now, you are like a high school soccer team compared to Sony being F.C. Barcelona!
That's all I have for this week. Be sure to check out indiejuice tomorrow when my podcast episode is posted and go check out my gameplay videos for Blizzards Heroes of the Storm and Carbines Wildstar! I will leave you all with the launch trailer for Transistor, a game launching on Tuesday from the creators of Bastion. Enjoy!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it:Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
Dreamhost rebate
Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Microsoft. Show all posts
Friday, May 16, 2014
Friday, August 23, 2013
Gamescom
Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
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.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
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
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.
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
Wednesday, August 21, 2013
Pre Gamescom Conferences
Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
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).
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
Hypersmash.com
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).
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
Hypersmash.com
Friday, August 16, 2013
Week (half month?) in Review 8/16/2013
Follow @IMxGONNAxDIE
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!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: https://twitter.com/IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
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!
Thanks for reading and until next time:
Like it: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor
Watch it: http://www.youtube.com/user/theonlysurvivordan
Follow it: https://twitter.com/IMxGONNAxDIE
www.hypersmash.com
Friday, July 5, 2013
Week in Review 7/5/2013
A few big things happened this week concerning the console wars and gaming in general and I will run them down right here:
Don Mattrick leaves Microsoft and joins Zynga as CEO
The face of all the problems that Microsoft has had with Xbox is jumping ship... to another Titanic... The former Xbox head is said to be the new CEO of Zynga, a troubled online social gaming company. Overall, this is a good move for both companies in a way, Microsoft gets to play cleanup on the Xbox One apocalypse and introduce a new face into the scene that will hopefully right their ship and Zynga gets an experienced CEO who has worked on many turnarounds in his 30 years in the industry.
Xbox confirms you can use QR codes to scan info into Xbox One
A nice little feature that a lot of people have asked about since Xbox One's announcement have been confirmed. Not much, but it is a step in consumer relations that could go a long way in the end if more of these little features that the community wants get introduced. LISTEN TO YOUR CONSUMER AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED.
Games Critics Awards winners announced
The E3 awards were announced and Titanfall cleaned house (Though one of the stipulations for these awards are that games need to be playable on the floor so that eliminated games like The Division, Metal Gear Solid V and The Witcher 3). 6 awards including Best Original Game and Best of Show went to the Microsoft exclusive that got everyone talking. The biggest surprise to me though was even against a new generation of consoles, the Oculus Rift took home Best Hardware. With their HD prototype on display to use for event goers, the Rift looks to be the next level of gaming. Totally immerseive and impressive demos give hope to a bright future for the PC.
Battlefield 3 goes free for all PS+ members
Nice move by Sony after Microsoft delivers... Defense Grid... as free to play on Xbox live after promising titles such as Halo 3 and Assassin's Creed 3 at E3 as free to play and then not delivering. Another win for Sony, another stumble by Microsoft.
Final Fantasy VII now available on Steam
Great news, bad port? From what I hear there is still an always on DRM that square-enix put on this back when it was originally ported to PC a year ago. Not quite the HD remake everyone was hoping for. I will have to pick it up if not for just the nostalgia factor of replaying what I believe was the best FF ever.
Telltale's The Walking Dead: 400 Days DLC launched
One of the best games of last year, Telltale is back with another episode in their Walking Dead game to hold us over until Season 2 comes out. I have not gotten around to playing this yet but I plan it very soon and writing up a review in the coming days. Pick it up if you liked Season 1, so far from what I have read, it does a nice job at delivering a compelling story once again.
Launch Trailer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAjBDmh0lbs
Thats all for this week. Hopefully this weekend I can get around to setting up my stream or at least record some videos (probably just a test run of me playing SCII) and start laying out some framework for a contest I have in mind.
If you haven't yet, follow me on twitter @IMxGONNAxDIE and check out the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor. Tons more content is in the works. Thanks Everyone! www.hypersmash.com
Don Mattrick leaves Microsoft and joins Zynga as CEO
The face of all the problems that Microsoft has had with Xbox is jumping ship... to another Titanic... The former Xbox head is said to be the new CEO of Zynga, a troubled online social gaming company. Overall, this is a good move for both companies in a way, Microsoft gets to play cleanup on the Xbox One apocalypse and introduce a new face into the scene that will hopefully right their ship and Zynga gets an experienced CEO who has worked on many turnarounds in his 30 years in the industry.
Xbox confirms you can use QR codes to scan info into Xbox One
A nice little feature that a lot of people have asked about since Xbox One's announcement have been confirmed. Not much, but it is a step in consumer relations that could go a long way in the end if more of these little features that the community wants get introduced. LISTEN TO YOUR CONSUMER AND YOU WILL BE REWARDED.
Games Critics Awards winners announced
The E3 awards were announced and Titanfall cleaned house (Though one of the stipulations for these awards are that games need to be playable on the floor so that eliminated games like The Division, Metal Gear Solid V and The Witcher 3). 6 awards including Best Original Game and Best of Show went to the Microsoft exclusive that got everyone talking. The biggest surprise to me though was even against a new generation of consoles, the Oculus Rift took home Best Hardware. With their HD prototype on display to use for event goers, the Rift looks to be the next level of gaming. Totally immerseive and impressive demos give hope to a bright future for the PC.
Battlefield 3 goes free for all PS+ members
Nice move by Sony after Microsoft delivers... Defense Grid... as free to play on Xbox live after promising titles such as Halo 3 and Assassin's Creed 3 at E3 as free to play and then not delivering. Another win for Sony, another stumble by Microsoft.
Final Fantasy VII now available on Steam
Great news, bad port? From what I hear there is still an always on DRM that square-enix put on this back when it was originally ported to PC a year ago. Not quite the HD remake everyone was hoping for. I will have to pick it up if not for just the nostalgia factor of replaying what I believe was the best FF ever.
Telltale's The Walking Dead: 400 Days DLC launched
One of the best games of last year, Telltale is back with another episode in their Walking Dead game to hold us over until Season 2 comes out. I have not gotten around to playing this yet but I plan it very soon and writing up a review in the coming days. Pick it up if you liked Season 1, so far from what I have read, it does a nice job at delivering a compelling story once again.
Launch Trailer- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bAjBDmh0lbs
Thats all for this week. Hopefully this weekend I can get around to setting up my stream or at least record some videos (probably just a test run of me playing SCII) and start laying out some framework for a contest I have in mind.
If you haven't yet, follow me on twitter @IMxGONNAxDIE and check out the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/TheOnlySurvivor. Tons more content is in the works. Thanks Everyone! www.hypersmash.com
Thursday, July 4, 2013
The Rest of E3 aka The Future Looks Bright
There were tons of cross platform games announced and
previewed at E3. I am just going to dive right in and give my initial reactions:
Assassin's
Creed IV: Black Flag (PS4, XBOne, PC) - More of the same but now with 100% more
Pirates! Nothing special jumps out at me at first glance. Fans of the series
will probably love it and defend it to the death but I really feel that there
wasnt enough time between AC3 and this, seems kind of like a cash grab to me.
Arma3
(PC) - If you never heard of the ARMA series, go look it up NOW! Unlike the
Battlefield and Call of Duty series, ARMA is a military simulator. Always
pushing graphics to the extreme with each new itteration, I will deffinetley be
picking this up (I am Beta testing now for it and so far it is incredible!)
Batman:
Arkham Origins (PC, PS3, XB360) - Love the Arkham series and I am really
excited for this. Batman has always been a big part of my life. I read the
comics, I watch the movies/TV shows, I even have the full set of the DC
Superheroes Lego line! Hopefully they stick to the formula and make another
great installment in the series.
Battlefield
4 (PS4, XBOne, PC) - 1 word. FROSTBITE. The things they have showcased with the
new Frostbite 3 engie look IMPRESSIVE. The destruction looks great, the
multiplayer looks great, the graphics look top notch, the environment looks
amazing. 100% must get if you are a fan of the series.
Black
Gold (PC) - With World of Warcraft seeming to be starting its decline as top
MMO in the land, Black Gold will try to capture that title. From the trailer
this MMO seems VERY WoW like in graphics and that could be a good thing for
them. I have yet to see gameplay so we will have to wait for more to get a real
grasp on whether this is the mythical WoW killer or just more cannon fodder.
Call
of Duty: Ghosts (PS4, XBOne, PC) - Tweak the graphics a bit, add a few new
multiplayer maps, slap on a story and put it on the shelves. The next anual CoD
is just another in the line of boring, yet somehow still relevant and massively
popular, shooters that will be around for 1 year until the next is churrned
out.
Command
& Conquer (PC) - The C&C series has a special place in heart. The
original C&C back in 1995 was my first ever RTS and I loved the entire
series.... up until Westwood went under and EA took over. We will see what
comes of this as it is a reboot of the entire series but it is set in the
Generals universe and is F2P although the developers have ensured that it is
not "Free to Play but Pay to Win" as is the formula with a lot of
current F2P games out there. I will follow this, hopefully get into the Beta
but I do not have high expectations for this.
Dark
Souls II (PC, PS3, XB360) - Fits right in with my online handle IM_GONNA_DIE.
Hopefully Dark Souls II grows on what it accomplished in the first installment.
I love the lack of hand holding and the dificulty of the first game. A few
things could be improved so lets hope they listened to the community and
deliver a quality game once again.
DayZ
[Standalone](PC) - The DayZ mod for ARMA2 was awesome! Now the standalone game
is looking more and more promising. 100% must buy for me on release. This is
looking to be the be all end all of zombie survival games.
Destiny
(PS4, XBOne) - Holding out hope for a PC release but I wont be totally
dissapointed if it doesn't happen as I will just pick it up for PS4. The extended
gameplay footage we got to see at the Sony presentation looks really promising.
I have faith in Bungie so the bar is set high for this. Cannot wait to see
more.
Dragon
Age III: Inquisition (PC, PS3, XB360) - Bioware's chance to make up for DA2. I
never got into the Dragon Age series and so far all we have to go off of is a
cinematic trailer so I will watch for more info and then make a more informed
statement.
Dying
Light (PS4, XBOne) – No gameplay footage of this yet, but from what we do have
to go on makes this game look like Left 4 Dead meets Mirror’s Edge. Although it
is being developed by Techland, the same people behind the Dead Island series,
I will be on the lookout for some more info.
Elder
Scrolls Online (PS4, XBOne, PC) – I am still not totally convinced by all
that’s been released on this so far. I love the Elder Scrolls series. I have
been playing since Daggerfall and all the installments have been nothing but
spectacular. The Elder Scrolls venture into the MMO realm has me worried though
that it will be just a cash grab by Bethesda. I’ll hold out hope for this but I
am not setting the bar high.
Final
Fantasy XV (PS4, XBOne) – I haven’t played a Final Fantasy game since IX on
PS2. Maybe I will give this a shot in the future. The graphics look great but I
will wait for some reviews before making a decision.
Kingdom
Hearts III (PS4, XBOne) – I’ll be honest. Even though I owned a PS2, I never
played any of the Kingdom Hearts. I am promising myself though that I will pick
up this franchise when I pick up my PS4 (and Sony releases I and II to Gaikai).
Mad
Max (PS4, XBOne, PC) – Love the movie, lets see what direction this game goes.
Too early to tell what will come of this.
Metal
Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain (PS4, XBOne) – I stopped playing the Metal Gear
series after Snake Eater only because I never got a PS3. Of course I will be
picking this up but I am apprehensive about this only because Metal Gear in an
open world could be hindering, plus the gameplay trailer shown during
Microsoft’s presentation had to be fast forwarded through what some may say
“boring parts”. I want to love this but it could turn into Assassin’s Creed
FUTURE real fast, lets hope the story is, as it always has been, amazing.
Mirror's
Edge 2 (PS4, XBOne, PC) – YES! Love love love the first Mirror’s Edge and I am
really excited for this release. Must have at launch.
Outlast
(PS4, PC) - AWESOME! I love the horror genre and this game looks so cool. Like
Amnesia meets R.E.C. (the movie) I am loving the trailer.
Plants
Vs Zombies 2: Garden Warefare (XBOne, PC) – Totally not what I expected for a
sequel to a small, fun, indie game but I am impressed and ready once again to
dive right in an kick some zombie ass all over again.
Project
Spark (XBOne, PC) – Very impressive presentation. I have my eye on this game. I
have high expectations for this from what I saw in the reveal. Spore on crack
and then some.
Rise
of the Triad (PC) – Fun, fast FPS. Looks like it has potential to be a great
multiplayer with the fast paced nature of the gameplay. Very Quake or Unreal
Tournament like.
Star
Wars: Battlefront 3 (PS4, XBOne, PC) – Probably the biggest announcement for
me. I put in so many hours into the first two Battlefront games and I have
extremely high expectations for this now and from all the info releases, the
stars seem to be aligned for this game. Being developed by DICE (Mirror’s Edge,
Battlefield series) and using the new Frostbite 3 engine, I simply cannot wait
for this game.
The
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (PS4, PC) – Great series, always pushing graphics to their
limits, great story. High hopes for this. If you haven’t played any of the
others in the series, get to it so you will be ready come launch day of this
one.
Thief
4 (PS4, XBOne, PC) – If you like Assassin’s Creed, Metal Gear, Splinter Cell,
or any other stealth games, then this is a must have. The series that started
to perfect the stealth genre as far as I am concerned returns and hopefully the
push the bar even higher. I expect greatness from this.
Titanfall
(XBOne, PC) - This seemed to be the Big console exclusive for Microsoft. I will
be picking it up for PC but it really was impressive. The balance of the game
is something I would like to see in action as you can be a foot soldier with
certain abilities or you can climb into a mech which looks awesome and since E3
has ended this game has received a ton of awards including best game at E3.
Tom
Clancy's: The Division (PS4, XBOne) – This game looks promising. From what was
shown, it gave off the impression of an open world PvP environment with great
physics. We will see if Ubisoft delivers but everyone is hyping this up right
now.
Transistor
(PS4, PC) – Produced by Supergiant games who made Bastion, I am totally looking
forward to this. Bastion was amazing and so far everything I have seen on Transistor
is promising. Keeping this one in scope.
Watch
Dogs (PS3, PS4, XB360, XBOne, PC) – The hype for this is growing daily. This
open world action adventure stealth game is very ambitious and I can’t wait to
sit down with it and immerse myself in the world.
Overall, this was a great year in general for gaming and the
future looks very bright for the industry. We will see in the future how things
pan out in the console war but as far just pure gaming goes, no matter what
console you are getting, there are TONS of great games that will be released
that you can sink hours upon hours into. I personally cannot wait for this fall
and next year when all these games are released, I expect to see all of you
online as well playing with me, having fun, and admiring the art that is being
developed before our very eyes.
HyperSmash.com
Tuesday, July 2, 2013
Microsoft at E3
After seeing Microsofts reveal of the Xbox One a couple of months ago and all their policies that came along with it, I, like many others, felt that Sony had a slight edge going into E3.
Microsoft I feel, is moving away from gaming, NOT far, but just testing the waters of other means of entertainment through the Xbox One. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing for them as innovation comes with taking risks and Microsoft is taking a huge risk with all the other non-gaming related features packed into Xbox One. Who knows what the future holds for them but I was just not drawn in by their television features to be impressed enough to buy it on that merit alone.
Also, Microsoft's policies regarding DRM, always online, used games, and Kinect were a slap in the face to the consumer. Yes, since E3 they have addressed these issues and are trying to do some PR clean up but I only feel it is because of pre-order numbers and the general backlash that the gaming community had for them. E3 should have been the time to address the issues, not 2 weeks after and the whole lying to the consumer "DRM and always online are core to the product and what the product was built around. We cant just flip a switch and turn them off."..... Two weeks later "We turned off DRM and always online!"
Anyway, onto what this should be about, the games. Below I have listed most of the exclusives and my impressions of the gameplay videos and trailers. (exclusive to ONLY Xbox One, so you wont see Titanfall, Project Spark, etc. as they are also confirmed for PC and I will cover those games in a later post.)
Below- this was teased by Capybara Games Studio and looks like a beautifully designed indie game. I would need to see more gameplay but right now it looks like it could be great. The soundtrack by Jim Guthrie seems impressive and it doesn’t look like it will disappoint. This is a game that even though is an exclusive, I could see it in the future being ported over to PC. (Other games by Capybara have ended up on Steam)
Crimson Dragon – Eh. Not interested. It looks good, but I feel like it is just Panzer Dragoon updated. Hopefully for fans, it wont be linear (it is listed as a "Rail Shooter") but a semi open game world.
Dead Rising 3 – One word about the trailer…. Disappointing. I loved the first 2 dead rising games. They were fun without being extremely serious. They were games that were ment for the players to just pick up , go out and have fucking fun with it. I feel like the dead rising 3 trailer focused more on it being a serious game and really taking that fun, relaxing, hey lets go kill some zombies feeling out of the game basically jumping on the current zombie bandwagon of lets make a story driven game where the zombies are overpowered and make the players really fear the environment… oh and lets throw in airstrikes that the player can call down using smartglass… (how you have access to airstrikes is beyond me, in the first two games you played as civilians.)
D4 – an episodic murder mystery. Not much shown but I do believe it will be using a lot of Kinect features to play… Sorry, ill pass on this. (Although since E3 a bit more has come out on this and it does seem interesting.)
Halo – As far as I am concerned, Halo died when Bungie stopped developing it. Though I am sure it will be great for the fans of the series.
Killer Instinct – Now this is something that I need to address. Everyone seems to be on the similar mindset of THIS IS AMAZING! IVE WAITED SO LONG FOR THIS! … Stop… Now this has been in development with Rareware and Double Helix. For those who don’t know here are the games double helix has pumped out:
Silent Hill Homecoming – Bad
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra – Bad
Front Mission Evolved – Eh
Battleship – Bad
Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters – OK
MX vs ATV Reflex - their best outing
So.., lets hope that Rareware has more say than Double Helix in this but I am wary of this. Also even though it was announced as Free2Play you only get one character for free, the rest you have to pay for. Not cool. If it was a $40-$50 title and you get every character and a little more then sure that's fine but masking it as Free2Play is kind of shady if you ask me. Its not that I have a problem with F2P games, I don't, I play a few now, but I am against the F2P but if you want to win or have any fun past the first 15 mins you have to pay.
Quantum Break – This seems… Interesting… I wonder what its about though and no gameplay! They have mentioned that it will tie in with a television show but I don’t see that working out well (eg: ask how Defiance is working out…)
Ryse: Son of Rome – Looks cool. I feel though like its Microsoft's attempt at making a God of War clone. (Not that I am saying that no game from here on out can be set in ancient Roman times/tied with Greek Mythology, just look at the gameplay!!!!) The footage shown seemed like one long cinematic with button pressing to keep you awake.
Sunset Overdrive – This has potential to be great. I loved the teaser for it and I am really interested in more. Keep your eye on this game as it is developed by Insomniac who made Spyro, the Resistance series and Ratchet and Clank so they have a great track record.
So there you have it. Overall, Microsoft showed some good games but only a few of which I was really interested in and even then, the big hitters like Titanfall and Project Spark are being released on PC which I will post my thoughts on later.
My next post will be on Sonys presentation and I will run through their announced exclusives. Feel free to comment and give me some feedback. Stay tuned! HyperSmash
Microsoft I feel, is moving away from gaming, NOT far, but just testing the waters of other means of entertainment through the Xbox One. Now that’s not necessarily a bad thing for them as innovation comes with taking risks and Microsoft is taking a huge risk with all the other non-gaming related features packed into Xbox One. Who knows what the future holds for them but I was just not drawn in by their television features to be impressed enough to buy it on that merit alone.
Also, Microsoft's policies regarding DRM, always online, used games, and Kinect were a slap in the face to the consumer. Yes, since E3 they have addressed these issues and are trying to do some PR clean up but I only feel it is because of pre-order numbers and the general backlash that the gaming community had for them. E3 should have been the time to address the issues, not 2 weeks after and the whole lying to the consumer "DRM and always online are core to the product and what the product was built around. We cant just flip a switch and turn them off."..... Two weeks later "We turned off DRM and always online!"
Anyway, onto what this should be about, the games. Below I have listed most of the exclusives and my impressions of the gameplay videos and trailers. (exclusive to ONLY Xbox One, so you wont see Titanfall, Project Spark, etc. as they are also confirmed for PC and I will cover those games in a later post.)
Below- this was teased by Capybara Games Studio and looks like a beautifully designed indie game. I would need to see more gameplay but right now it looks like it could be great. The soundtrack by Jim Guthrie seems impressive and it doesn’t look like it will disappoint. This is a game that even though is an exclusive, I could see it in the future being ported over to PC. (Other games by Capybara have ended up on Steam)
Crimson Dragon – Eh. Not interested. It looks good, but I feel like it is just Panzer Dragoon updated. Hopefully for fans, it wont be linear (it is listed as a "Rail Shooter") but a semi open game world.
Dead Rising 3 – One word about the trailer…. Disappointing. I loved the first 2 dead rising games. They were fun without being extremely serious. They were games that were ment for the players to just pick up , go out and have fucking fun with it. I feel like the dead rising 3 trailer focused more on it being a serious game and really taking that fun, relaxing, hey lets go kill some zombies feeling out of the game basically jumping on the current zombie bandwagon of lets make a story driven game where the zombies are overpowered and make the players really fear the environment… oh and lets throw in airstrikes that the player can call down using smartglass… (how you have access to airstrikes is beyond me, in the first two games you played as civilians.)
D4 – an episodic murder mystery. Not much shown but I do believe it will be using a lot of Kinect features to play… Sorry, ill pass on this. (Although since E3 a bit more has come out on this and it does seem interesting.)
Halo – As far as I am concerned, Halo died when Bungie stopped developing it. Though I am sure it will be great for the fans of the series.
Killer Instinct – Now this is something that I need to address. Everyone seems to be on the similar mindset of THIS IS AMAZING! IVE WAITED SO LONG FOR THIS! … Stop… Now this has been in development with Rareware and Double Helix. For those who don’t know here are the games double helix has pumped out:
Silent Hill Homecoming – Bad
G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra – Bad
Front Mission Evolved – Eh
Battleship – Bad
Green Lantern: Rise of the Manhunters – OK
MX vs ATV Reflex - their best outing
So.., lets hope that Rareware has more say than Double Helix in this but I am wary of this. Also even though it was announced as Free2Play you only get one character for free, the rest you have to pay for. Not cool. If it was a $40-$50 title and you get every character and a little more then sure that's fine but masking it as Free2Play is kind of shady if you ask me. Its not that I have a problem with F2P games, I don't, I play a few now, but I am against the F2P but if you want to win or have any fun past the first 15 mins you have to pay.
Quantum Break – This seems… Interesting… I wonder what its about though and no gameplay! They have mentioned that it will tie in with a television show but I don’t see that working out well (eg: ask how Defiance is working out…)
Ryse: Son of Rome – Looks cool. I feel though like its Microsoft's attempt at making a God of War clone. (Not that I am saying that no game from here on out can be set in ancient Roman times/tied with Greek Mythology, just look at the gameplay!!!!) The footage shown seemed like one long cinematic with button pressing to keep you awake.
Sunset Overdrive – This has potential to be great. I loved the teaser for it and I am really interested in more. Keep your eye on this game as it is developed by Insomniac who made Spyro, the Resistance series and Ratchet and Clank so they have a great track record.
So there you have it. Overall, Microsoft showed some good games but only a few of which I was really interested in and even then, the big hitters like Titanfall and Project Spark are being released on PC which I will post my thoughts on later.
My next post will be on Sonys presentation and I will run through their announced exclusives. Feel free to comment and give me some feedback. Stay tuned! HyperSmash
Monday, July 1, 2013
An Introduction
Hi everyone, my name is Dan and online, I go by the name
Im_Gonna_Die. I am here to talk about what’s going on in the world of gaming.
A little about myself, I am 27 years old and I have been
gaming for the majority of my life, starting off with the original NES and some
early PC shooters such as Doom and Hexen.
Right now I primarily am a PC gamer, I have my own rig that
I built myself but I do plan on jumping into the console scene when the next
generation hits while still keeping my focus on PC, I would like a console for
some exclusive titles as well as other features. (Netflix, virtual consoles, etc…)
As you all know, E3 recently finished and this was a big
year for me to follow since I am considering getting a console over this coming
holiday season. That and my attempt at breaking into the gaming industry to
bring content such as reviews, interviews and streams to all of you so all the
new games being released was big for me as well as some of them will be what I
will cover on here and on my youtube channel.
Now I will leave you with links to my youtube channel and my Steam ID as well as my Battlenet ID. Check it out and I
will be back soon posting about my thoughts on E3 and what games look good and
what companies did well.
Steam ID:
Battlenet ID:
IMgonnaDIE#1872
Youtube Channel:
Thanks Everyone!
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)