Nintendo may not be able to walk on water but they did resurrect gaming from the dead. Look, they aren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination but without them we would probably witness another videogame crash.
WHY THE INDUSTRY NEEDS NINTENDO
Without Nintendo There Would Be No Great Innovation
When Atari killed the industry for us westerners it was Nintendo that brought gaming back from the dead. You wouldn’t be sitting there now enjoying your PS3′s and your Xbox’s and God help me if you actually enjoy gaming on the ipad but you owe that to Nintendo as well. The house that Mario built rekindled a flame for the love of gaming with it’s very first home console. The Nintendo Entertainment System or NES for short. I know what your thinking. Why dwell on the past? That was the Nintendo of old. Today they are a former shell of themselves. Well unfortunately for the Nintendo naysayers i can prove that to be false. Bare with me.
The Super NES is regarded by many as the greatest home console of all time. Why? Well Nintendo took the NES controller and turned it into what has become the standard by which all modern controllers are based off of. Just ask Sony. Nintendo gave us unbelievable software and a piece of hardware that was second to none. Sorry Genesis fans. By all accounts the Super NES was exactly what its named implied. A Super charged NES. Everything was bigger and better.
Nintendo doesn’t seem to feel the need to stick to the same formula for two long. After the success of the Super NES, Nintendo released the Nintendo 64. A console capable of 3d graphics that featured an awkward looking yet ingenious controller design. Full analog control via the analog stick which is still standard on controllers to this day. You like how your controller rumbles when you play games? Credit that to Nintendo as well for launching StarFox 64 with the “Rumble Pack”. Speaking of software. Mario 64 and Ocarina of Time set a new standard for platforming and adventure gameplay which is still unmatched to this day. 3D action games would be nothing without the road that Mario 64 paved for them. How about multiplayer? Nintendo was the first to allow gamer’s to plug in multiple controllers to a home console for local multiplayer. Of course there were always add-on’s that allowed it but with the N64 it was standard.
Now lets look at the curious case of the Gamecube. This is the first and only Nintendo home console that didn’t pack in any new innovations. It had a weird yet perfect controller built for games like Smash Bros but it lacked any real difference from its competitors. The Gamecube actually lacked features. No DVD playback and an inferior optical disc format that held less data than XBOX and Playstation’s DVD formats. The Gamecube while profitable, didn’t fair too well against SONY and Microsoft’s consoles. Something had to change
With the Wii, Nintendo went a completely different route. They turned their backs on cutting edge visuals in favor of a new way for gamer’s to interact with the gaming world. Enter motion controls. Say what you want about Motion gaming but for a short while it was fun. Nintendo set out to attract those who had never picked up a controller before and bring back into the fold those that lost interest in the hobby. They succeeded and the sales prove it. No one cared that the Wii was inferior in every way from a power standpoint compared to it’s competitors. In the first few years of the Wii’s lifespan Nintendo brought game after game and the console was a mega success. As soon as the games stopped coming, the console died. Which brings me to my last point.
Software sells hardware. Nintendo announced a successor to the Wii last November called the Wii U. Nintendo’s goal was to continue the Wii’s legacy of offering gamer’s a new way of interacting with their game. Tablets are mega popular these days and it doesn’t seem as if that trend will end anytime soon. Nintendo integrated their new home console with that very technology. They even went a step further and added a huge social media component to the Wii U’s infrastructure. So…why isn’t the Wii U selling. Simple. The games haven’t started rolling in yet. Do you think the original Wii would have been as successful as it was i the beginning if it didn’t have the software that it did? NO. It wouldn’t have. The proof is in the way that the sales quickly declined once new software stopped being introduced. With the Wii U things seem to be the opposite. There aren’t any really strong pieces of original software for the Wii U to keep people interested and that is all Nintendo’s fault. Good news, folks. The games are coming and once they do the system will begin to sell very well. Very well.
What is the moral of this story? The gaming media sucks and it spins stories to get hits. The Wii U is not “Dead in the water” and Nintendo is not doomed. The same exact things were said about the PS3 when it launched and all it took was a price cut (Ps3 was too damn expensive) and a steady stream of games. Let’s just wait and see what Nintendo does during this years E3. Lets just wait and see.
WHY THE INDUSTRY DOESN’T DESERVE THEM
Simple. Nintendo can’t seem to catch a break. They are damned if they do and damned if they don’t. If they do exactly as Sony and Microsoft then everyone thinks they are doomed. If they innovate then they are doomed. People are actually saying that Nintendo should and will become a 3rd party publisher only. Lets say Nintendo does actually stop making hardware. This is what will happen. Nintendo will be out for good. They are too stubborn to make their software for competing platforms. Like it or not, loosing Nintendo is bad for the industry. Very bad. If it happens it could be the beginning of the end. What? You think Sony is going to take over the mantle of innovation? Microsoft? Electronic Arts is more likely to win “The Best Company In America” award two years straight before that happens.
EA Sports software engineer, Johan Andersson says that the Wii U is crap. EA also says that the Nintendo’s newest console can’t even run the Frostbite 2 engine with favorable results. Heck, most of the gaming media thinks that Nintendo is “dead in the water” and that they should pull a Sega and become a software only developer. Well, here are a few thoughts on why Nintendo could be headed the way of Sega and a few thoughts as to why they could be on their way to absolute success.
NINTENDO IS NOT SEGA. OR SONY OR MICROSOFT FOR THAT MATTER
Nintendo is not like the other two console makers. They don’t run with the latest trends in hardware or software development. Nintendo looks at what is currently on the market and tries to come up with ways to innovate instead of imitate. Nintendo is all about doing things differently. Unfortunately it is this approach that gives fuel to the Nintendo haters, allowing them enough ammo for an all out assault on the beloved Japanese console maker. Here is what is unfair. When Nintendo doesn’t do something that fits in line with what the so-called industry professionals feel is the correct course of action they get heavily criticized. When that course of action seems to not resonate as much as Nintendo would have liked then the media crucifies them. God forbid that Nintendo does something that is widely considered “the right thing to do” because that’s when the media gets all up on the big N’s sack and forgets how much they previously hated them. That may sound like a good thing to have the media flip their perception of Nintendo into something positive but not when you consider the hypocritical nature of the gaming media in general. If said it before, E3 is judgement day for the Wii U, not Nintendo. Here are three things Nintendo needs to do to prove that the console is worth everyone’s attention and hard earned money. Believe me when i say that if Nintendo doesn’t do these things then they may as well pull up a chair next to good ‘ol Sega.
1. First party franchises
Nintendo has already stated that a new 3d Mario title as well as Mario Kart, Smash Bros and zelda will make an appearance during this years press events. This is great because Nintendo consoles thrive off of their first party titles. The problem is that Nintendo cant rely only on those. They need to resurrect some old franchises. Where is Wave Race? Where is F-Zero? Will Punch-Out make a return this generation? Also worth noting is that Nintendo needs to absolutely wow us with these titles. And yes i’m talking about graphics. We already know Nintendo will deliver on the gameplay but its the consoles graphical prowess or lack there of that has given the haters most of their Nintendo sniping ammo.
2. Partnerships
Nintendo seems to be doing well when it comes to partnering with other developer/publishers to bring the Wii U some interesting content. Nintendo just announced a partnership with Sega to produce a Wii U exclusive Sonic game. Look at the partnership between Nintendo and Platinum games to produce Bayonetta and Wonderful 101 which are both exclusive to Wii U. Nintendo has stated in the past that there are definitely more partnerships like these to be announced in the future. It would be nice to see Capcom and Square show up on that list.
3. THIRD PARTY SUPPORT
Screw EA! Now that we got that out of the way lets talk about the developers that matter. We all know that the main reason the Wii U isn’t getting the 3rd party support it deserves is because of slow sales and a small install base. Provided that things pick up for the Wii U, we should see more and more 3rd parties come on board. Regardless of this, Nintendo should be courting third parties like never before. Myamoto said a few months back that he was doing just that. In person. Now i’m not saying that Nintendo needs every major third party game released on the Wii U. I don’t believe they do. What they need are the titles that matter from the developers that matter. GTA 5 coming to the Wii U would be huge news for Nintendo and its fan base. Nintendo needs to change the perception that their consoles are only for the likes of Mario and Zelda and show the gaming world that the Wii U can be home to a wide range of content from both first and third parties.
I could go on forever it feels like. I didn’t even touch on things like improvements to the OS, Miiverse upgrades and the Gamecube Virtual console. All these things need to be added too. How about dual gamepad support?
If people feel the Wii U sucks, its Nintendo’s own fault. They decided to release a console that from a hardware and software standpoint wasn’t ready. Not to mention the piss poor advertising. Its been around 6 months since the Wii U has launched and it’s sad to say that their isn’t much to show for it. Yes i know the console is young but Nintendo has a lot to prove to not just the gaming media, but to gamer’s like you and me. I love Nintendo but maybe it’s time for a new approach from them. If we don’t see Nintendo strike gold come this E3 then i think Iwata should step down.
As always, let me know what your thoughts on the matter are. Wii U Mad?
This site is nothing more than a half-ass attempt by non-industry insiders to make a name for themselves. How do you justify approving articles that read like they were written by a 4th grader and flag and remove articles that have a real heart and soul behind them. N4G is run by fan boys and girls and should not be supported. You know who should be supported? The real gaming sites out there. IGN, Gametrailers, My Nintendo news.com, Hip Hop Gamer and any other gaming site or blog that displays passion for the gaming industry. Say what you will about the big names but at least they have put in work and earned the place they have made for themselves. If you want the news then go straight to the source and don’t support N4G as it is an embarrassing example of what taking yourself too seriously can do. Its as if the the approval process for posting articles is run by retarded, blind monkeys. Make no mistake, this is a RANT! I guess it’s safe to say i’ll never get another article approved on N4G again, huh? So be it.
RANT START!
A few months ago i was going to post this article but thought it may be too much especially coming from an unknown blogger. Well…things have changed. Here’s my problem. N4G has a terrible approval system. They let anyone who has posted more than 5 articles approve someone else’s article. In fact, you have to approve several articles before you can post your 6th one, or something like that. What that means is the person doing the approval can know everything about gaming and writing for games, or know completely nothing at all. So when i see articles get approved that are just absolutely ridiculous and give off the vibe that the person writing the article could care less about the content, well that upsets me. Why does it upset me? It upsets me because i know that there are very talented men and women with a passion for the gaming industry who deserve to have their opinion heard but can’t because of the stupid way articles get approved on N4G. It feels like the people who are doing the approvals just click the approval button so they can hurry up and get back to posting their own articles. I understand that N4G isn’t the only place to post gaming related news but it is probably the most well known. Anyone who is looking to get into gaming journalism can benefit greatly from having their articles posted and read on N4G. N4G has a responsibility to separate the real journalism from the bull-crap. Now i know i’m not an industry professional. I’m just a blogger that loves the gaming industry and wanted to share my thoughts from time to time. Naturally i would love for my post’s to be read by as many readers as possible. I do believe that i have some interesting thoughts on gaming that i can contribute. At least that’s my take and you may disagree. N4G often will state that they may not consider you a valid source for news or that since your not an industry professional you can’t have an opinion on anything gaming related. At least one that matters. If those are your guidelines than fine. When you start relaxing those guidelines and letting just anyone post an article and that article gets approved then that’s where the problem comes in. I remember seeing and article talking about how Nintendo needed to release a new console in 2014 in order to compete with Microsoft and Sony even though they just released the Wii U. Come on! Seriously? Anyone with any industry sense would know just how ridiculous that article is. It was poorly written and felt like it came from a person who may not know anything about what’s going on in the industry. I don’t pretend to know everything, because i don’t but i do know that articles like that one should have not been approved. Now on the other hand, if N4G is putting themselves out there to be a forum for anyone to post what ever they feel is worthy then by all means post away. If that is in deed the route N4G has chosen then why would they flag and block an article that makes absolute sense and say that since it wasn’t written by an industry professional it can’t be posted. See what i’m saying. They are flip flopping. Proving my point even further is this article that you are reading right now. At the time i posted it on N4G it immediately started getting traffic and a few approvals. This is a straight up rant with an offensive picture. Who approved this? Why would someone who is supposed to look out for N4G’s best interests approve this? Hmmm….see what i’m getting at? This article got up to 110 degrees before N4G finally took it down. If you don’t know what that means it’s basically how N4G measures traffic. The more people that read an article the higher the degrees will rise. I was then told by the admin that if i ever posted anything like this again i will never be coming back to N4G. That’s fine with me since i will never post anything there again. My tactic may have been a harsh one and a bit offensive to some, but i was just trying to make a point and i will only apologize to those that follow me if my tactic was at all offensive to you. I can only speak from the heart and i feel N4G is wrong and they need to do some restructuring and make some admin improvements. Until then, i won’t personally post anything their again.
Ok, so the overall impression of the Wii U as of right now is that its failing. It would seem as if most media outlets have written Nintendo’s newest console off and give it very little chance to succeed against Sony and Microsoft’s newest console offerings. Lets not even get into Michael Pachter’s constant badgering of Nintendo concerning the Wii U’s dismal performance thus far. What i am going to talk about is what Nintendo will absolutely need to do at E3 to turn things around. Show the games. Release the games. Show us the future. Lets get started.
UPDATED 5/18/2013
Ok, so recently Nintendo announced that they will not be hosting their typical press conference at E3 2013 instead opting to focus on smaller and more focused events. Nintendo also recently announced that sometime within a few days before E3 they would host a Nintendo Direct that would show off some of the “Big Guns” like Mario and Zelda. Even with the new info on hand i still believe more than ever that what ever they announce during E3 or decide not to announce could spell disaster for the Wii U or be its saving grace. E3 is…Judgement day for the Wii U.
SHOW US WHAT YOU HAVE ALREADY PROMISED
Release date, please!
Nintendo held a Nintendo Direct video some time ago where they announced an amazing lineup of games that are set to release for the Wii U sometime this year. Games like Bayonetta 2, Winda Waker HD, Wonderful 101 and Pikmin 3 are just a handful of the titles that were showcased during the January Nintendo Direct. While not all of them may release in 2013 it would seem that a good majority of them might and Nintendo cant have it any other way. Its no secret that the Wii U needs games. Sure it had a pretty good lineup but most people had probably played those games already on another system. The Wii U needs exclusives and its time Nintendo started to roll them out. At E3 Nintendo needs show these games in playable form and give us an solid release.
Nintendo also dropped a few bombs on us by sharing that the newest 3d Mario title as well as Mario Kart would show up in playable form. Now that’s the kind of news that fans and media have been waiting to here. Hopefully the appearance of a huge 1st party Nintendo title like Mario can put to bed all of the nonsense being said about the Wii U not being a true next gen console in terms of visuals. We know that Nintendo has some of the most talented studios in the business employing some of the best art teams around. We can almost bet that they wont disappoint. Nintendo also mentioned the virtual console. We know that Nes, Super Nes and now Gameboy Advance games have been added to the VC roster but what about all of the other systems that we became accustomed to buying games for on the original Wii? Nintendo will have to roll out plenty of VC games and they need to be available the week of E3. Hey Nintendo, where are my Gamecube VC games? Announcing Gamecube games for the Wii U Virtual Console would bee a huge plus for those who own the console and have been wanting to go back and revisit some of their favorite games for that old purple box. Lets just keep our fingers crossed.
THE UNKNOWN
What in the world have these guys been up to?
What we know so fare about the Wii U should be enough to get gamer’s excited but its not enough. We need surprises and not the Wii Music kind. First, what has Retro Studio been working on all of these years? I know they made Donkey Kong Country Returns for the Wii but i doubt that game took their entire staff and all of their resources to make. So what are they doing? It was rumored that Retro may be working on a Star Fox game for Wii U. That would be absolutely amazing and i hope its true. Could their next game be a return to the Metroid franchise? We Know Nintendo is working on that as well. What ever the game ends up being Nintendo definitely has to reveal what Retro is working on because the secrecy isn’t helping matters.
What about some of Nintendo’s other big franchises. Recently Nintendo was granted a trademark extension for the Eternal Darkness franchise. Could this be Retro’s secret game? Its good to know that Nintendo still see’s the potential in this franchise. There has also been some F-Zero talk here and there due a mini game showing up in Nintendoland. It would be great to see that franchise make a return since the Gamecube version was awesome. E3 needs to mark the return of many Nintendo franchises. Wave Race, Punch-out, and how about a new Mario Paint just mix it up a bit and give us a real reason to use that nice gamepad as a drawing tablet.
MORE PARTNERSHIPS
Nintendo should buy PG!
Historically when Nintedo has partnered with another developer the results are usually pretty amazing. Nintendo x Silicon Knights gave us Eternal Darkness. Nintendo x Factor 5 gave us Rouge Squadron. Nintendo x Sega gave us F-Zero GX and AX and Nintendo x Capcom gave us the Oracle games from the Game Boy Zelda series. Nintendo has continued this effort on the Wii U and have partnered up with Platinum Games to bring gamers two exclusive titles for the Wii U. The Wonderful 101 and Bayonetta two are both the result of Nintendo reaching out to developers to try and establish relationships that lead to unique content that can only be found on Nintendo’s platforms. You also have the Monolith studios which have already brought Wii fans the fantastic Xenoblade chronicles and it looks like that relationship is continuing onto the Wii U with another game in the Xeno series. Then there is Shin-Megami Tensei x Fire Emblem which should be very interesting. Nintendo needs to continue partnering with developers to bring new content to the Wii U. Even the small things like getting Nintendo themed costumes into Tekken makes owning the Wii U version feel like you’ve just purchased something special. We all know that 3rd party support for Nintendo platforms pretty much sucks ,so….
3RD PARTY SUPPORT
Uh…So what happened?
Speak of the Devil and he shall appear. Wait…i didn’t say anything about EA yet did i? Unfortunately for Nintendo there are games being announced by 3rd parties that still aren’t being considered for a Wii U release. Developers just seem to have any confidence in Nintendo’s system. Does Nintendo really need 3rd party support, though? I mean in the past they have done fine with using their own 1st party titles to push hardware. I think things may be a bit different this time. Nintendo wants to attract the hard core gamer’s from Sony and Microsoft and as good as Mario and Zelda are if those gamer’s wanted to play Nintendo games they would have already owned a Wii. Nintendo cannot continue to let 3rd party support slip away but must do everything in their power to convince developers that the Wii U is worth their time and effort.
A while back, Miyamoto stated that he had been personally visiting developers to try and get them on board with Wii U. That must be pretty awesome to have the legendary designer show up at your door to try and convince you to bring your games over to Nintendo’s new console. If this is true then their could be some awesome 3rd party exclusives just waiting for a time like E3 to be revealed. Nintendo’s North American President did state that there are other partnerships that they were not ready to reveal yet. Does this mean that Wii U is getting games like Battlefield 4? I wouldn’t count on it cause EA is the devil and they eat small children, what?! Where did that come from? Anyways i think it would be far more interesting if the Wii U got more exclusive titles as apposed to some bad ports of PS3/360 titles. Don’t get me wrong, Nintendo needs the Resident Evil’s and Skyrim’s of the industry but Nintendo does best when its content is unique and offers something that cant be found anywhere else.
SLOW…AS…HELL…OP…OR…A…TING…S…Y…STEM (Updated)
Go eat. Take a dump. Take a nap. Come back and it will still be loading.
Call me a liar if you want but i once waited over two hours for my Wii U to return to the main menu. It never happened so i just unplugged the damn thing. Usually my Wii U can take about 5 minutes to load the main screen and that’s usually after using the Hulu or Netflix apps. Regardless this is unacceptable. Nintendo has already mentioned that they have two major updates coming in the spring of 2013 which will deal with the slow os. Good, because as of right now things are pretty bad. Why did it take me 12 hours to download Tekken on the Wii U eShop and only 30 minutes to download install and boot up Assassins Creed on Steam? Hmmm. Come on Nintendo fix this!
UPDATED 5/8/2013
Ok, so Nintendo did a good job at fixing this one recently. The OS is slow as hell anymore thanks to the Spring update. There is still the summer update to look forward to and i wonder what changes to the Os that will bring.
Advertise!
Why don’t people know what the Wii U is? Nintendo doesn’t advertise that’s why! Sure the core gamers know what Wii U is but the audience that Nintendo is trying to get in touch with doesn’t. Now this could be because Nintendo realized that they don’t actually have an awesome game line up as of yet. Or it could be that they wanted us core users to get the console first and avoid shortages. Maybe the Wii U campaign will kick in to gear around the summer and winter seasons since most core users who were going to pick one up early has done so. What ever the case may be, Nintendo needs a great advertising campaign to sell the Wii U. Especially during the holiday season when Nintendo consoles tend to clean up.
JUDGEMENT DAY
Don’t kid yourself. If Nintendo doesn’t make corrections now and blow us all away at E3 then all that NintenDOOMED talk that you all hate so much may become a very real situation. Now i’m not saying that Nintendo as a company will be doomed but the Wii U will be severely hurt and may not recover. E3 is “Ride or Die” time for Nintendo and its new console. They can bring the heat or get left out in the cold by Sony and Microsoft. That’s it.
As always let me know your thoughts on the matter and don’t forget to let me know what makes
PS4: No backwards compatibility. None of my PSN games or save data can be transferred to it. It will likely cost between 400-550 dollars. Sony , you must be outside of your damn mind if you think i’m buying an expensive-ass console which the only advantages over the current PS3 are better graphics and a damn share button. The arrogance of Sony begins NOW!
No Backwards Compatibility
Hold On To Your PS3 If You Ever Want To Play Your Games In The Future
Ok, so according to a report by http://www.gameinformer.com , Engadget has spoken to Sony’s Worldwide Studios president, Shuhei Yoshida, who stated that neither PSN nor PS3 game saves will be able to make the jump to the new console. David Perry, who works for Gaikai stated that Sony would like to bring multiple generations of Playstaion games to the PS4 via the cloud at some point in the PS4′s lifecycle. Looks like you better keep your PS3 if you want to play all of those games that you spent 60 dollars a piece on. What a joke.
Don’t Get me wrong, if what was shown at the Sony press conference was actual in-game footage and not CGI or just a bunch of tech demos then the PS4 is a graphical beast. One game in particular stood out as the best thing iv’e seen in a video game ever. That game (or tech demo) was Capcoms Down Under. It featured a Knight fighting a dragon and believe me when i say there has never been anything like it before. The lighting and animation were beyond anything the current gen consoles could ever produce and that counts for the Wii U as well. Will this come at a high price? I believe so since Sony did not even touch on pricing. Prepare to empty your wallets. Not me though.
Sony’s (wrong) Answer To Nintendo’s Gamepad
Uhhhhh….
Don’t act like you think this is an amazing idea. A touch pad and a share button, hmm were have i seen something like this before? Ok, it is pretty cool that you can actually capture and share in-game footage of you paying a game and send it to a friend. You can even allow a friend to magically take over your game if you want. Pretty cool. Game changer? Hell no!
That’s All Folks!
I have a brother who swears by Sony and thinks the PS4 will be the worlds greatest thing since Moses leading the Children of Israel out of Egypt. I beg to differ. Look i owned a PS3 and loved it but Sony lost me when it decided that backwards compatibility wasn’t important for my on-disc games or my PSN content. To make me re-buy them again in some fashion is not ok. Your probably thinking, “what about Nintendo making you re-buy classic NES titles via virtual console”? You do realize those games are like 25 years old, right? The point is that every console should be compatible with at least the previous generation to some degree. Making you start fresh feels unfair. The PS4 will definitely be a graphical powerhouse but i’m not convinced it will come cheap. I’m not ready to spend another 500 dollars on a game machine, are you?
As always let me know your thoughts on the subject and tell me what makes Wii U Mad?
Sony is holding a press event later this afternoon where it is expected for them to announce the Playstation 4. Provided that actually does happen here are my 3 predictions regarding the announcement of Sony’s new hardware, What else could Sony talk about? Vita?
1. Playstation 4 will feature an all new PSN along with new features and services
New And Improved
I believe this will be one of the main focuses of the PS4. Sony recently bought Gaikai-a streaming service which would allow Sony to make their entire back catalog of games available for the PS4. This would be important for Sony to include in the PS4 since it would significantly add more value to the console as you would instantly have a plethora of games to choose from.
A more advanced PSN is probably a given. As good as the Playstation Network was, it was by no means perfect. Many gamers cried about the lack of cross game chat so it should be a sure thing that this feature would make it in to Sony’s new console. With Playstation Plus, Sony gave gamers plenty of value for 50 dollars a month and i would expect this to continue. Sony might even go as far as taking a few notes from Valves Steam network and allow developers to set their own prices and determine when their games would go on sale and for how long. An addition of this magnitude would give PSN a huge advantage over XBL and would undoubtedly attract more indie support which can only be a good thing for gamers.
Remember how many times you turned on your PS3 and found that their was a mandatory firmware update? No? Of course you don’t remember because there were way too many updates to even keep track of. Sony has no doubt remedied this with the PS4 and at the very least they would allow you to install these updates in the background and not have you sit there and stare at a progress bar for 15 minutes when all you want to do is play a game.
2. Cool Tech Demos But The PS4 Wont Blow You Away Like You Expect It To In Terms Of Visual Fidelity
Great But Where Is It?
Now this could be a bit of a stretch. I personally do not believe the PS4 or Xbox “720″ will be s significant leap ahead of the Wii U in terms of graphical power. Why? Cost. We are already hearing rumors that Sony will have multiple consoles with a 400 dollar and 500 dollar price tag attached to them. Who can afford that in this economy? With the way everyone is addicted social media interaction and streaming apps and such, it would seem as if functionality would take the front seat over pure graphical horse power this time around. If you watch the Game Trailers Show called the Bonus Round, they had recently been discussing all things Sony and speculating on what the PS4 might offer. One thing that was interesting to me was a comment from one of the guests by the name of Brian Crecente who works at Polygon. He Said that the company that will win the next gen wont do it with games but by what other things the console can do such as sharing videos with other users . I’m sorry but that sounds like a load of crap but its interesting to hear industry insiders discuss this view of what they believe the next gen will be. Will Sony focus more on functionality over flash? Maybe both. My money will be on a console with less of a focus on high end graphics. I could be wrong, though.
3. Vita integration: The Vita’s Last Stand
Could This Feature Be Better Suited For The PS4?
Sony tried integrating the PS3 and Vita in some interesting ways. Allowing you to buy a game on PS3 and Vita and share save data between the two titles and even cross platform play were very good ideas. Sony even claimed that the two could work together in ways that are better than what the Wii U could do with its Gamepad. Nice try Sony. One thing we could see happen is PS4 could be integrated with Vita from the go. Sony could push developers to add Vita functionality to every PS4 game making the experience much closer to that of Nintendo’s Wii U. What? Don’t act like Sony doesn’t copy Nintendo as often as they inhale air. Anyways, dare i say Sony could pack a Vita in with every PS4? Probably not but i think a massive Vita price drop could be in order to get more gamers to sign on to Sony’s handheld. If the PS4 and Vita can unite in ways Sony only dreamed with the PS3 it would add so much more value to the console and make spending 400-500 dollars that much more understandable although i don’t feel any game console is worth that much money. Just saying.
Honorable Mentions
If in fact the PS4 is a power house for visuals than i believe it will be expensive. Seeing as Sony will want to wow the media and gamers at this event and no doubt steal some of Nintendo’s already fading thunder, i doubt a price will be revealed. Imagine hearing about all of the cool features of the PS4 and then seeing some truly amazing visuals only to have the hype sucked right back out of you by a price tag that requires that you pay with your soul. Not cool.
A Holiday 2013 release would not be that surprising. In fact i don’t think Sony could wait another year to release the PS4. Nintendo will no doubt gain some steam going further into the year and by the holiday we will see the release of the Zelda HD remake. Sony can’t afford to let Nintedo go a full year untested. Especially allowing then to launch a huge title around the holidays without any competition. A holiday release for the PS4 would be good for Sony since it would fall under shopping season. Lets just hope the PS4 has some games when it arrives.
I expect quite a few testimonials from 3rd party developers and publishers. Unlike the support Nintendo had from 3rd parties, i don’t expect their support for Sony to magically fade away in a years time. I think some big guns could show up today. Square could finally do something worthwhile and show off Final Fantasy Versus 13 complete with a brand new title that doesn’t sound completely ridiculous. How about a special edition of GTA 5? I think every Sony fan would blow their lid if Naughty Dog shows up with a Uncharted 4 teaser. Sony has always had strong support from developers so i expect that to continue with the PS4.
Last but not least Sony will have to address the issue of backwards compatibility. If the rumors are true about Sony using new architecture for the PS4 then it would seem that it won’t be playing PS3 discs. What about all those PS3 games you own? This is a question Sony will have to answer.
So that’s it. My predictions for the PS4 during today’s Sony press conference provided Sony does announce a new console. What do you think? If you want to watch the press conference it starts at 6pm eastern. Gametrailers will have coverage starting at 2pm west coast time and i believe IGN will have coverage as well. Lets see how many of my predictions will come true or prove to be false. As always let me know what makes Wii U Mad? Until next time.
If you listen to the gaming media than you would believe that Nintendo is on it’s way to becoming the next Sega. With the PS4 and Next Xbox just around the corner, sites like Game Trailers and IGN seem convinced that the Wii U is destined to go out like the Dreamcast. Is it possible?
The Dreamcast Was Simultaneously The “Next Big Thing” As Well As Obsolete. So IS Wii U
Ahead of its time, yet behind the next gen curve
When the Dreamcast was released it represented the next big step in gaming. Higher resolution graphics, more polygons, and online gaming. Great games found a home on the system as well. Games such as Sonic Adventure, Street Fighter 3, and Soul Calibur. So what went wrong? We all no that Sega had plenty of problems before releasing the Dreamcast. Problems witch finally caught up to them forcing Sega out of the hardware business. It didn’t make matters any better for them having three major consoles ready to enter the hardware race and compete directly against them. Xbox, PS2, and Gamecube, All of witch featured advanced tech that showed gamer’s what the future of what their beloved hobby would look like. From having built in DVD players to hard drives, to improved online functionality with Xbox Live, the Dreamcast simply couldn’t compete. What does this say about the Wii U?
Well as of right now i’m sure most people will agree that the Wii U is more of a capable piece of hardware than both the 360 and PS3. Almost everyone can see the potential of the system due to it’s innovative touch screen controller. Nintendo has even taken online a step further with it’s Miiverse service. We all saw the Nintendo direct that showed us a glimpse into the future of Wii U with games like Wind Waker HD, Monolith’s untitled RPG, the Wonderful 101, and Pikmin 3. There is no doubt the Wii U has potential but is it enough?
Sony is expected to announce the PS4 on February 20th, 2013. If you believe the rumors than you would know that the PS4 will boast visuals that far exceed that of witch the Wii U is capable of not to mention the advancements to Sony’s online experience. Microsoft’s next Xbox is expected to be just as powerful as the PS4. It is well documented that many of the big 3rd party games headed to PS3 and 360 are skipping Wii U. EA seems to be giving the console the cold shoulder all together, pulling games like Madden and FIFA for next year. From what we can tell, games that are believed to be next gen have been all but confirmed for Microsoft and Sony’s new machines with no mention of Wii U. Why? Could it be that Nintendo’s console doesn’t seem to bee selling as well as many would have hoped? Could it be that developers just don’t have the faith that their titles will sell well on a Nintendo console that is generally marketed towards family gaming? Or could it simply be that the Wii U will be vastly inferior compared to the upcoming consoles and developers simply CAN’T port their games to it? How about all of the above? So far all we have seen from the Wii U is alot of potential but nothing truly groundbreaking. It’s only been about three month’s since the console has launched and it seems almost unfair to judge it so harshly so early. Be that as it may, it is very unsettling to see such a lack of support for Nintendo from both developers and the gaming media. What can Nintendo do to turn things around?
Games! Games! Games!
Greatest Franchises in Gaming!
Nintendo has the best franchises in gaming. Period! You may feel like you’ve outgrown some of them and that’s fine but no one can deny the charm and fantastic gameplay that Nintendo games regularly represent. Nintendo’s franchises have carried them through console generations before. N64, and Gamecube succeeded because of the fantastic first party titles available for them. The Wii was a different phenomenon. It succeeded because of it’s innovative control scheme but make no mistake, it was the fantastic first party offerings that kept that console on the radar as well. Could Nintendo repeat this success with the Wii U? They have to. If developers are going to skip the console in favor of more powerful offerings from Microsoft and Sony then the Wii U has to be a showcase for the best that Nintendo has to offer.
When the Wii launched alongside the PS3 no one thought it would compete due to being vastly under powered. It was the unique way to play games and fantastic titles like Twilight Princes, Metroid Prime, and Smash Bros among others that kept the Wii going strong in its early years. I personally had hoped that the Wii U could turn out to be the second coming of the SNES meaning it would be a haven for excellent first and third party support. If things continue the way they are currently going then id be happy to see the Wii U turn out to be like the N64. Why the N64? Think about it. The N64 gave us what are arguably considered to be the best games in the Zelda, Mario, and Mario Kart franchises. The N64 was a revolution for Nintendo’s top titles. The Wii U could do the same. The way Nintendo is talking about reinventing Zelda coupled with the touch screen controller we could see a second revolution in regards to Nintendo’s franchises. Nintendo needs this. We need to see all of their franchises make a triumphant return and not just the popular titles, either. Nintendo needs Wave Race. How awesome would a Punch-Out sequel look on the Wii U? The next Mario title needs to blow us all away in the same manner that Galaxy 1 and 2 did. When gaming generations have passed and gamers reflect on the industry, the Wii U needs to be looked at as that Nintendo system that provided absolutely the best experiences first party goodness even more so than the SNES did. Only time will tell.
Never Count Nintendo Out
Down but not out
The gaming media loves to count Nintendo out. They did it with the Gamecube and they did it with the Wii. The 3Ds got the same bashing and now the Wii U. What do all of these consoles have in common? They all turned out to be a success. Nintendo is still here, alive and kicking. I will admit that if they don’t start releasing some major games BEFORE Sony and Microsoft release their new consoles then things will only get worse. We have no idea what Nintendo may have up its sleeve. We could very well see an onslaught of 3rd party support at E3 that will shock us all. Speaking of E3 i believe Nintendo cant afford not to blow us all away. I think Nintendo will be just fine as long as they release a steady stream of GOOD content throughout the Wii U’s life span. I believe gamers aren’t so fixated on visual fidelity that they would completely ignore awesome games from Nintendo. Never the less the ball is in their court. It may be Sony’s move next with Microsoft’s soon to follow but Nintendo can still control the game and i don’t think this is a game they can afford to loose.
As always let me know what you think and don’t forget to let me know what makes Wii U Mad!
Sorry iv’e been away for a few weeks guys. I came down with the flu or something and ended up becoming pretty ill for some time. Yes, yes, i know you missed me. Wipe the tears away and cry no more for i have returned. Iv’e returned and I’m pissed. Why do people put other people down when they are only trying to do their best? It’s time to go on a rant! The victim? Marcus Beer.
The Annoying Gamer
Who the hell are you to judge, Marcus? You went off on a rant about how the Hip-Hop Gamer proclaims to be the “number one journalist” and how he is a plagiarist. Marcus Beer went on to say that Hip-Hop gamer represents everything that is wrong with gaming and that he’s a “bad joke”. This was all in response to the ECA ( Entertainment Consumers Association) naming Hip-Hop gamer as their brand ambassador. Marcus claims that as a result of this decision those who don’t approve of or understand gaming will now have a “field day”. At worst Marcus is behaving like a complete “dick” and at best a Hypocrite. Marcus spends his time raving and ranting using profanity at every turn but because he’s on a popular gaming site it’s ok. Right? Hell no! Hip-Hop gamer is by no means perfect but he’s got a heart and a passion for the gaming industry. Instead of Marcus bashing him, how about trying to help him. Reach out to him and see if you cant offer up some encouragement. We as people need to be lifting each other up instead of tearing each other down. I enjoy Marcus’s show on Game Trailers. He has been in the industry for quite some time and he seems to know what he is talking about for the most part. He’s good at what he does. I believe Marcus also has a passion for this industry witch maybe the reason why he attacked the Hip-Hop Gamer. Maybe he honestly feels that Hip-Hop Gamer doesn’t take gaming seriously enough. My problem is that had Marcus been paying attention to this guy he would have noticed a guy just trying to make it. A guy who just may not have the tools to get the job done the way it should be. Maybe the Hip-Hop Gamer lacks the proper training as a journalist witch is why instead of tearing him down he should have contacted him to offer up some friendly and professional advice. What really pissed me off is that Marcus Beer had the nerve to tell Hip-Hop Gamer that he would give him a few months to get his act together. Then what! What then, Marcus?! Who the hell are you? You attack a man’s character then tell him you will give him time to sort himself out as if you were humanities judge. Last time i checked the Annoyed Gamer show wasn’t hosted by Jesus Christ.
Skip to the last segment to hear his diss on the Hip-Hop Gamer
The ECA Is Just Trying To Do Something Positive For Someone Else
Gerard approached us wanting to know what he could do to help the cause. He’s in the process of turning his life around, becoming more professional and inspirational to his friends and followers. It’s exceedingly rare that we have individuals approach the organization laying it all out there, offering to do whatever they can, and asking for nothing in return. While we weren’t aware of any of his perceived transgressions online, we choose to embrace his support, his efforts and his selflessness. If we were all judged solely upon the negatives in our past we would all be damned. We would like to give him the opportunity to be a voice for gamers and a positive role model for gaming.
The man is clearly trying to change for the better. I will agree that his show may not be the most professional. Like i said earlier, maybe Hip-Hop Gamer doesn’t currently have the skill or know how to create a more professional show. Ive said it time and time again, he has the heart. Someone just may need to come along side him and give him a little help. He is clearly trying to make the best of what he has. The ECA obviously saw this and they seem to stand by their decision to name the Hip-Hop Gamer as their brand ambassador. Not everyone agrees with this decision. People are saying that he is a stereotypical black male and that maybe he’s too “ghetto”. You idiots clearly don’t comprehend what being “ghetto” really is and as far as him being the stereotypical black male then what does that make Geoff Keighly? The stereotypical white guy? Do you people not notice the words Hip and Hop in his name? He’s acting just as his the name Hip-Hop Gamer implies. The last thing i want to bring up is the Hip-Hop Gamer’s attempt to talk things out with Marcus Beer. He took to Twitter to try and get a one on one discussion with Marcus and he responded in absolute disrespect.
Really Marcus? He wouldn’t even give the man a chance. Hip-Hop Gamer has nothing to prove to Marcus Beer or anyone else. Period!
Room For Improvement
The Hip-Hop Gamer is not without his faults. Just like with you and i, there is always room for improvement. I’d love to see the Hip-Hop Gamer hook up with someone who’s got the right camera and editing equipment as well as someone with some indie producing experience. Also i know that since he is the Hip-Hop Gamer his speech and body language is a bit on the thug side but even 50 Cent tones it down when he is doing an interview. To be fair the last few interviews that iv’e seen the Hip-Hop Gamer conduct were pretty good. He is definitely improving. Lastly id love to see this guy get his own custom belt. Hip-Hop Gamer currently uses John Cena’s old WWE belt (replica) complete with custom spinner witch was meant to imitate a spinning rim of a car. He needs to have his own custom belt with the Hip-Hop Gamer logo on it. Marcus Beer didn’t seem to like the belt at all. I think its fun to watch the person that the Hip-Hop Gamer is interviewing wear the belt as they answer questions. It places an importance on the person being interviewed and is says something about the value that he places on each individual that he comes across. Its cool to watch. Improving one’s self takes time. It’s called growth and it doesn’t happen overnight. It especially doesn’t happen by someone else tearing you down for your mistakes. Make no mistake using the word faggot when referring to someone else is flat out wrong. Hip-Hop Gamer knows this. He apologized for it.
Straight from his mouth
Why Am I Such a Supporter?
I support the Hip-Hop Gamer because we all want to get somewhere in life. We all want to be better than we were last year. We all make mistakes and everyone needs and deserves forgiveness as long as they are truly sorry. Nothing can be worse than someone being held back for mistakes they made in the past. Your past mistakes may dictate were you are today but they damn sure don’t determine were you go in the future if you don’t let them. So when i see someone trying to stay positive and make positive changes in their life how can i do anything but lend support. Even if that support is just a few encouraging words. I have this to say to the Hip-Hop Gamer. Change is coming. It doesn’t happen overnight. We all go through seasons in our life that if we embrace and learn from them will make us stronger and hopefully better. If you are truly trying to make a positive change in your life then let no man stop you. Keep doing what you do. You end all of your videos and interviews with “God bless” so if you believe He blesses then believe that if you trust in Him He will lead you to were you need to be. To Marcus Beer i have this to say. Professionalism is more than being on a popular show. It also has alot to do with what comes out of your mouth. The constant swearing and put downs need to stop. Your talented and i agree with some of you views and i believe you can go far in life. Be positive towards others even if you don’t agree with them. Ill end with a rap video from the Hip-Hop Gamer. I think this sums up what he’s all about. Listen and enjoy.
As always let me know how you feel about the matter and tell me what makes Wii U Mad?
Wii U has no games. Wii U is outdated tech. Nintendo keeps making Mario. This is the same old tired song that Nintendo’s critics keep singing. Sony and Microsoft fan-boys as well as critics can only dream of a day when their misinformed and foolish predictions come true. Good news is the dream is dead. Nintendo is alive and kicking and during their Nintendo Direct video they once again showed why they are a major player and a force to be reckoned with in the games industry. Haters still gonna hate, though.
Coming 2013 !
Don’t forget that GameBoy Advance games are coming too!
Lets start off with talking about the Wii U virtual console. Since the Wii U launched, gamer’s have been asking Nintendo for the ability to play their VC games on the Game Pad. Your requests have been heard and Nintendo is about to grant you your wish. Nintendo is going to be launching the Wii U VC sometime in the spring and starting this month Nintendo will offer select VC games for you to try out on your Wii U. One game a month will be featured on the Nintendo eShop at a cost of 30 cents each and will remain at that price point until the program officially launches sometime around the spring. Once the full Wii U VC has launched you can purchase and download Nes, Snes, and now Gameboy Adcance games with later platforms to be announced at a later date. If you already have VC games that you purchased on the original Wii, you can -at the cost of up to $1.50- transfer your games to the Wii U VC. Playing your games on the Wii U VC allows you to take advantage of a number of functions not available if your just playing your VC games in the Wii U’s original Wii mode. First, your able to play VC titles on the Game Pad and even in Game Pad only mode. You are given the option to fully customize the controls to your liking as well as save and load game states. The Wii U VC is exactly the feature Nintendo needed to introduce to its new console and the fact that you can download GameBoy Advance games is a huge plus. It will be interesting to see which other platforms Nintendo decides to embrace in the future. DS, maybe?
Not much information was given on Bayonetta 2 but Platinum Games did give us an early look into development with a behind the scenes video. Platinum is hard at work improving Bayonetta 2 with more diverse locations and expanding upon what made the original game so great as well as trying to maximize the Wii U’s hardware. Hopefully we can get our first look at game play at this years E3.
We also got a new look at Pikmin 3. Nintendo revealed that you will be able to use the Wii U Game Pad as a camera and take pictures of your encounters in the game and upload them to the MiiVerse. Speaking of MiiVerse, Nintendo also announced that user created communities will be a feature coming soon to MiiVerse. That’s pretty cool given the popularity of the MiiVerse.
Gorgeous graphics
Last but not least we got a new trailer for the Wonderful 101. The game is looking pretty slick in the visual department and the gameplay looks interesting and most importantly fun. I would expect nothing less from the masters over at Platinum Games.
Coming Soon!
You have NEVER seen an HD remake done this well! No!…you haven’t !
The Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker was announced as an HD remake. This isn’t your standard HD upscale like your typical “remakes”. Nintendo has gone ahead and re-done the lighting and tweaked the gameplay. Here’s to hoping that Nintendo decides to include the two dungeons that were cut from the original Gamecube release of Wind Waker. The game is set to arrive in the fall of this year which is great news since it will be a while until we get our hands on Links next all new adventure.
Amazing!
Nothing much is known about this next game but Shin Megami X Fire Emblem is the newest collaboration between Nintendo and a major third party developer. Nintendo will be teaming up with Atlus to bring you this exciting new cross over sometime in the near future.
Yoshi is the star of a new game and its been quite a few years since hes headed up his own title. Following in the footsteps of Kirby’s Epic Yarn, Nintendo looks to be giving Yoshi the “stringy” makeover.
Only Nintendo could pull off a game like this
Now this particular title blew my mind. Most of you know of XenoBlade Chronicles for the original Wii and it looks like the Wii U may be getting the sequel or at least an entry in the same universe. Simply going by the name of X (in big, bold, red type) this game looks amazing. It’s got wide open areas that seem to stretch out as far as the eye can see, not to mention mechs fighting dinosaurs. X looks to be an action RPG following in the footsteps of XenoBlade. Sworld-wielding hero’s fighting along side transforming mechs is always a recipe for greatness. Given the developers pedigree, i’m confident this game will be one of the premier RPG’s of this coming generation.
Looking Towards E3
Nintendo gave us a look into what to expect at this years E3 stating that both Mario and Mario Kart will show up in playable form. The next SMASH Bros is also expected to be at the show but it’s unclear if it will also be in playable form or just a few screen shots shared by Nintendo but rest assured that SMASH Bros. will be attending the big dance.
Not Convinced?
Lego City Undercover
Aliens Colonial Marines
Injustice: God’s Among Us
Resident Evil Revelations
Rayman legends
The Wonderful 101
Game & Wario
Monster Hunter 3
Need for Speed Most Wanted
Pikmin 3
Bayonetta 2
Zelda HD remake
Those are just the titles we know about that have a 2013 release date and most of them are just around the corner as well. The Wii U’s line up is filled with great releases and if you own the system then you have plenty to look forward to. Sure there are some omissions but there is no denying that the Wii U has a very Solid year ahead of it. Like i said…”Haters Still gonna Hate”
Leave your comments and questions and as always let me know what makes Wii U Mad?
2013 could prove to be one of the best years in gaming thus far. With many new titles coming this year for current consoles as well as the expected announcements of both Sony and Microsoft’s next-gen machines, gaming’s best years could very well be just ahead of us.
Microsoft
Should XBL be free this time?
Ok. I’m not even going to touch on the often absurd rumored specs of Microsoft’s or Sony’s next-gen consoles. I’m going to take a look at the best case scenario from both a core gamer and casual consumer perspective which would result in affordable next-gen machines. Lets just say the next Xbox isn’t leaps ahead of the Wii U in terms of visual fidelity. So what? Look at the advantages developers will have just having a bit more ram and processing power. Take Halo 4 and Uncharted 3 for example. What could Naughty Dog and 343 have done with those games if they had a bit more to work with in terms of system performance. Imagine Halo 4 with increased resolution, better texture detail, and enhanced AI. When Uncharted 3 released it represented some of the best visuals this generation had ever seen and i believe that still holds true. What if that game ran in native 1080p at 60fps with a higher level of atnti-aliasing and shader support? Next-gen games may not make the same visual leap that the Xbox 360 did over the original Xbox but rest assured that next-gen titles will feature some truly breathtaking visuals.
People seem to be complaining about having to pay for a 6 year old XBL when Steam, Nintendo network, and PSN are all free. Those complaints are very valid. I would bet Microsoft is going to do one of two things with their new machine. First, make Xbox live free (though i’m doubtful) or keep charging and completely revolutionize the experience making 60 dollars a year seem like a steal for such a great service. If it weren’t for XBL we wouldn’t have the slightest idea in the first place as to how a real console online experience should operate. Microsoft set the bar and they could very well raise it again. What could they add? For starters, day one digital downloads for every retail game should be a given. How about a digital rental service for games? Cloud saving would most likely be a standard next-gen as well. I doubt Microsoft will go for a complete digital only service which would alienate many consumers who either have very slow internet connections or no internet at all but like it or not, digital is the future.
Lets talk Next-gen innovation. Does Microsoft go in the direction of creating a tablet controller and try to out do Nintendo? Or is their big innovation going to be an enhanced version of Kinect? How about the IllumiRoom? in case you are unfamiliar with the IllumiRoom it’s a new project being designed by one of Microsoft’s research teams to be used with Kinect and most likely the newest Xbox. IllumiRoom will take the image currently displayed on your tv screen and expand it across the entire area around your tv. The effect is similar to having your game projected onto your wall except in this case the active area is still your tv screen but the environment is displayed all around your living room. I’m curious as to what the final design will shape up to be and how it will be used to enhance your gaming experience.
As far as software goes, Microsoft doesn’t have a deep reserve of first party content. What Microsoft does well is ensure that games being released for their console receives exclusive content first. Take Call of Duty, GTA, and Skyrim as examples. These games released all of their expansions first on XBL making owning these titles on Microsoft’s console more rewarding. Microsoft will most likely continue this trend going forward. If you also take in account the fact that the Xbox has always been the easiest platform to develop for and you can see why developers tend to side with Microsoft as their lead platform. Expect this trend to also continue with the Next-Gen consoles as well unless Sony really does decide to abandon the Cell processor in favor of off the shelf parts.
Sony
Goodbye Cell processor!
Current rumors would have you believe that Sony is finally ready to abandon the Cell processor. This would be a good thing. While powerful, the Cell processor isn’t the easiest to develop for. Apparently Sony is going to go with off the shelf pc parts which would put it in line with the 360 in terms of ease of development. Can you imagine a Sony console that’s easy to develop for? The PS4 may end up being more of a beast than the PS3 was and we all know that games built from the ground up on the PS3 tend to look much better than anything on the 360. I don’t expect the PS4 to be a major enhancement over the PS3 though. Just a lot more capable. More ram, more processing power. Hopefully this translates into deeper immersion than ever before.
Sony has done a fantastic job with the Playstation Network and even the Playstation Plus service packs tons of value. I suspect that going forward that Sony would make PS Plus it’s premier service while still offering a free PSN for users. Although i feel that a completely free online service is the way to go, even Nintendo has hinted at a paid service in the future. With much talk about Sony purchasing Gaikai, Sony could unveil some sort of digital rental service similar to what OnLive was. Speculation has led many to believe that the Gaikai service would provide users a way to stream the entire PS2 and PS3 catalog freeing Sony from having to include the tech into their new console resulting in lower costs. It will be interesting to see what Sony does with Gaikai.
When it comes to innovation Sony is often accused of copying Nintendo but to be fair Sony will often take those innovations and improve on them. The Super Nes controller became the Dual shock, the Wiimote became the Move, and Smash Bros became Playstation All-Stars. Wait…What? Forget that last one. Actually forget the last two. The point is that Sony makes quality pieces of hardware. A current rumor also has Sony ditching the Dual Shock design entirely. What could be up their sleeve? Will they go with a tablet controller. It wouldn’t surprise me and if they did i can pretty much guarantee it will out-class Nintendo’s Game Pad in terms of specs. That’s what Sony is good at. I don’t view Sony as much of an innovator as they are a company that can take an idea and beef it up tremendously. I’m interested to see what they bring to the table next-gen.
While not as deep of a roster as Nintendo, Sony’s first party line up is with out a doubt full of heavy hitters. One thing i will give Sony is their ability to spot talented teams and have them produce new IP’s for them. Sony introduced several new franchises this generation and i believe they did a much better job at supporting their franchises on the PS3 then Nintendo did on the Wii. Seeing this trend continue would result in more new IP’s for the PS4 as well as continued support for their current ones. What new studio will Sony discover next? The next Naughty Dog perhaps? Sony has some of the most talented teams in the business so Playstation fans have plenty to look forward on the PS4.
Nintendo
Will we see this at E3?
The Wii U has been on the market for two months now and opinions range from the system doing quite well, to the system not doing well. I know one thing is for sure, people who own the console seem to be pretty happy with what they have seen and played so far. One question that is still up in the air is just what can the Wii U really do? When a game is produced from the ground up and fully optimized for the console what kind of gaming experience will come out of it? Can it be duplicated on the Xbox 360 or PS3? We know that the Wii U has much more ram than both of those systems combined. We know that the architecture is much different as well. The Wii U uses a GPPU and games most definitely need to be optimized to take advantage of this set up. So far we’ve seen good ports of games like COD and AC 3 and we’ve seen decent ports such as Batman and Ninja Gaiden. Trine 2 does look better on the Wii U then it does on the PS3 and 360 withe crisper textures and better lighting. What we all want to know is how much will Zelda blow us all away?
Everyone just assumed that Nintendo would botch the Wii U’s online. Lets be honest though, the original Wii’s online was all kinds of “trash” It was the kind of garbage that Oscar the Grouch would make his home in. Wii U is a much different story. Miiverse in itself is a much better social network than anything we have ever seen on a gaming console. This is a feature that is sure to be copied by Nintendo’s competitors. If you love Face Book and Twitter you will feel right at home with Miiverse. It was very smart for Nintendo to allow this service to interact directly with the game your playing as well. You always feel like your connected to people at every moment. The Nintendo E shop is a big step up from the original Wii as well. Overall Nintendo’s online experience is much more in line with what your used to on PS3 and 360. It’s by no means perfect though. The OS is friggin’ ridiculously slow. On average i wait five minutes to load up the Wii U plaza. It usually happens after iv’e watched Hulu or Netflix. Once it loaded so long that i turned on my pc to play Batman and after two friggin’ hours the damn thing was still loading. I ended up having to pull the plug. Needless to say Nintendo needs to improve the OS. Other improvements that would benefit Nintendo’s online is a more streamlined E Shop. Right now everything just seems to be thrown on one page with no real organization. Being able to see your friends list at any time as well as having a on screen notification when friends get online or send me messages would be nice. Hopefully some or all of this will be addressed by E3
Innovation is Nintendo’s specialty. You know this, Microsoft and Sony even know it. So we have been playing around with Nintendo’s new innovative Game Pad for two months now and it’s easy to see its potential. So what does Nintendo have in store for us? How will they surprise us in the future. I’m interested to see how the Metroid franchise uses the Game Pad. I think it could be a cool idea to have the game run in the 3rd person similar to Metroid Blast, and have a more Metroid Prime first person experience on the Game Pad. You could lift the controller to scan areas and switch visors as well as access maps and weapons. You know that sounds cool. Your probably trying to picture it in your head right now as you read this. How about the successor to Mario Galaxy? How will Nintendo use the Game Pad in a new and unique way for that franchise? Maybe the game switches completely to the controller when ever you enter a pipe much like the Gameboy Advance to Gamecube connectivity feature in Zelda Four Swords. One thing is for sure, Nintendo needs to really show developers that the Game pad can be used for more than just a map and inventory. I’m really excited to see what Gearbox has in store for the Wii U version of Aliens. If used correctly, the Wii U Game Pad can most definitely revolutionize the way we interact with games.
Speaking of games, Nintendo has by far one of the deepest roster of hit franchises. More so than probably any other developer. I believe those big name franchises were underused on the Wii. Wii U could change this. We know Pikmin 3 is coming. We haven’t seen that franchise since the Gamecube. What about other dormant franchises? We would all love to see Nintendo return to franchises like Starfox and Wave Race. Miyamoto has been talking a little bit about the F-Zero franchise and it was featured in Nintendoland so that’s always a good sign of things to come. While the tried and true franchises are always welcome i think what most people want is to see Nintendo try it’s hand at something new. It’s been a while since we’ve been treated to a brand new Nintendo IP. No. Wii Music does NOT count! There has been talk of Miyamoto working with smaller teams so that he can concentrate on new projects. I think this would be great for Nintendo. Something new and refreshing from the house that Mario built is just what Nintendo needs while maybe not at the expense of overlooking a fan favorite or two. Bring us Mario, but give us something new. Increased third party support should be just as high on Nintendo’s priority list. Third party support for their platforms hasn’t been strong since the days of the good ‘ol SNES so it’s crucial that Nintendo do something about that. Maybe they can take a page out of Sony’s book and start buying a few small development teams here and there. Maybe Nintendo could purchase Platinum games. That would be awesome! I look forward to E3 as i suspect Nintendo will have some huge news to drop in light of an imminent PS4 and 720 announcement.
PC
Bow down!
The PC. Are you a part of the “Master Race”? If you can afford it, you should be. PC gaming has a bright future. On one hand you have Valve announcing a PC built around Steam and dedicated to gaming. It has been dubbed the “Steam Box” . The “Steam Box” was meant to compete directly with the PS4 and 720 while offering PC quality gaming. Something that is truly beyond what the current consoles can achieve. For those who already game on PC you probably won’t see the need to purchase a “Steam Box”. I myself bought my PC for graphic design and video editing but the moment i witnessed what Batman Arkham City looked like running with all settings on max, i was sold. Damn right the PC is King! With the ability to constantly upgrade your PC you are always assured that you will have the latest and best when it comes to gaming hardware. You my friend are future proofed.
You have Nintendo Network which is off to an amazing start. You have PSN which is well established and gives you amazing value when you add in PS Plus. XBL at one point was the industry standard and still to this day delivers outstanding value. Then there is steam. Its free, and you can not and i repeat can NOT find an online service dedicated to gaming that offers a better value. Period. I said PERIOD, stop trying argue against me in your head! How much did you buy Arkham City for on your Xbox? I got the Game of the year edition on Steam for 7.49. Yep. Seven dollars and fourty-nine cents. Sales like that are common place on steam and with over 30 million users its hard to not see why Steam is the best service for online gaming provided you aren’t a die-hard first party Nintendo or Sony fan.
I don’t generally associate PC gaming with hardware innovations but the Oculus Rift could change all of that. What is the Oculus Rift? It’s the most advanced VR headset you have ever heard of. Or not heard of, doesn’t matter cause there is nothing else like it. Which ever direction you turn your head and look you will be immersed in the game. Hear someone creeping up behind you? Turn your body around to see who or what it is? Hear some birds chirping above? Look up to watch them soaring through the sky. Or how bout stepping out on a ledge of a steep cliff and looking down? Thanks to the headset incorporating stereoscopic 3d you will feel as if you were actually starring down a steep cliff. Be warned though, motion sickness may occur. It is uncertain how much the OCulus will cost or when it will even be consumer ready but one thing is for sure, the Oculus may revolutionize the way we are immersed in gaming more so than any console hardware has ever achieved.
When it comes to games, the PC in 2013 will enjoy many of the consoles best offerings all in glorious PC fashion. Higher resolution, crisper textures, higher frame rate and the list can often go on and on. There are also a ton of games that will never make it to consoles. MMO’s for the most part will stay exlusive to the PC. Have you checked out Age of Wushu? I don’t care for MMO’s but damn this game looks fun! The PC is the perfect choice for any gamer who just wants to play the definitive version of the latest multi platform games. Chances are you will even get them at a cheaper price on day one than you would purchasing the console version. Not to mention the various mods that can be done on PC and not on consoles. Have you seen the “Macho Man” Randy Savage dragon mod for Skyrim? Or how about the mod that gives your character and certain weapons a Legend of Zelda makeover? PC gaming can be the definitive place to play and i promise once you go PC, your PC for life. Maybe.
Closing
2013 is looking like it could shape up to be the beginning of an even bigger and brighter future for gaming than we could have imagined. With so many choices for gamer’s between Nintendo, Microsoft, Sony and PC/Valve i can’t see an instance were the gamer’s loose out. If everything goes right we could also bare witness to the greatest E3 showing in history with two, maybe three new consoles being announced (including Valves “Steam Box) and a plethora of software due to come out this year, 2013 may be one for the gaming history books. Stop with the fan-boyism and enjoy what each of these companies has worked so hard to bring to the industry. You owe it to them and to yourself to do so. As always, i want to know your thoughts on the matter as well as what makes Wii U Mad?
