E3 and the HD Twins
…He takes the ball he’s got it, he’s going in for a kick and he….tumbles…
The curse of the third console is well and truly alive for many internet fans of video gaming but is it really what happened, and is really how the end result and how the coming months will play out. Like the gaming equivalent of a good old fashion political spill, which makes the industry the only time it is interesting to on lookers, the video game war is well and truly back again. After taking a holiday last generation with the generation all been about been friends, and one big boisterous winner of the HD twins (Microsoft) and one cuddly Nintendo console for everyone else or as a second console. It seemed last generation had a completely different atmosphere to what this generation is starting to have and will most likely be riddled with throughout the course of the generation.
The first time in a long while genuine clapping during a conference which isn’t from the employees, as countless of people rallied up when Sony revealed during their conference that the system has no DRM of any kind, gives the players the right to sell it, and doesn’t require any online check ins. Regardless of what side of the fence you stood when you went into the event, be it in person or watching online, the end result couldn’t help but shatter your mind and make yourself have a little tear.
I’ve been hoping for an industry collapse since entering last generation. It seemed more and more big publishers had one goal in life, which was money. Creating interesting polices like online passes, the development of DLC and of course always online becoming a big thing at the end of the generation with titles such as Sim City. One big problem entering this new generation is Microsoft has for whatever reason decided this is the right thing to do, and is something they want to include inside their console as a prominent feature.
It seems Microsoft has sort of backed off from its DRM slightly, announcing that while it requires an internet connection every 24 hours to activate the games it seems that the DRM surrounding preowned games and trading them in will be up to the publisher to decide. Hopefully this means better things are to come in this front for people who want to fight the corporation and free the consumer within, as logically and in my mind this is the start of Microsoft removing themselves from it. As it was a huge PR disaster. It even went mainstream. They can’t outright back off from it, as they have went to deep. But they can however implement it in such a way that if it doesn’t work out it can be slowly backed off from.
For example we could see the initial release of games around launch implementing the DRM and certain publishers like Ubisoft for example who believe it’s bad for the industry, choosing to not include it. While the system would still require the check in, it should in theory allow more choice in how it can be used by other people based on the publishers desires. In the end I think those who implement it will see it has been bad for them, and back off from it, leaving just EA as the one who thinks it isn’t bad even when they head into the red.
Firstly let’s talk about atheistic. Console box wise I prefer the Xbox One design. I feel it’s designed with just that little more care and while it looks relatively simular to the PlayStation 4, I feel it is different enough for what it is trying to achieve. I like the PlayStation Blue line which is on the top of the console, and how the PS4 does hide the optical media and USB slots by been indented into the system. But overall something is just off about the overall presentation of the device. I also don’t like the controller design.
But really that is all just nit picking, let’s talk about the games!
I’m only going to talk about the games which I find appealing. I’m not going to go down the game list in Wikipedia and then reveal my hatred for it.
Multiplatform
Ubisoft revealed a brand new racing game called The Crew. While it is developed by Ivory Tower, additional work is done by Ubisoft Reflections the studio behind most of the Driver games.
He gets bitch slapped at the end.
After the disappointment of the last few Need for Speed games. This looks you know….good.
Ubisofts Watch Dogs this year, in the sense that it was revealed at the end of the show, had a creepy conspiracy style video before the showing and is a new IP. Basically you play as a clean-up crew after an event from a disease spread during the Black Friday shopping day. Tactical and open world and features more of that Ubisoft “multiplayer is connecting” stuff they have put into all their new next gen titles.
Last year the winner of the E3 for me. I already have this title preordered (but not for any of the HD twins). Watch Dogs interested me as been a video game version of Person of Interest, which has borrowed depending on the trailer and footage from Sleeping Dogs, GTA, Assassins Creed, etc. This E3 they revealed what the exclusive PS4 content is, which if you have seen Canadian science fiction TV show continuum then you pretty much have what the DLC is. You fighting a group of people who want to liberate you from the machine. Or helping them. Depending on your mood.
Xbox One
Xbox Journey.
Episodic story murder mystery.
For a sandbox game making environment this looks pretty nifty.
Playstation 4
Welcome to a new age indeed, Sony. Regardless of what console you buy and for what reason, the following year or two will be interesting.
Yes I got tired/bored and started writing crap for the descriptions of the games.
