the be all end all video game thread

I didn't know they have a new xbox leader. Is he new since they announced it last year? Because I think they really shit the bed in a big way with it. Granted, I do have one, but only because it was a Christmas gift. Not that I'm complaining. But the launch titles were absolute garbage. The new Tomb Raider was really good on it, but all the other games are rather meh.

The fact that they made it $100 more than ps4 really hurt them, and the lack of backwards compatibility pissed everyone off. I would love to pop in my copy of gta5 and play it, but I can't.

 

I think the crazy part is that everything Microsoft did wrong, Sony did right with the PS4. Part of this was the lesson Sony learned with the PS3, which had a fuckload of complaints from customers and developers at launch and struggled to recover. It's a lesson Microsoft learned the hard way this time around, but I do think they'll turn it around.

They really didn't have a choice with the streaming. Thanks to devices like Roku or Chromecast, Microsoft didn't have a choice. Buy gold for $60 a year to stream, or drop $40 on a Roku and I won't have to renew my Roku next year. Seems like a no brainer for Xbox owners who don't game online. This just makes the XBone more attractive.

Dropping Kinect will make the price more competitive with Sony, as well, and I'm honestly surprised it took them this long to make that choice.

The thing Sony does that makes Plus really worth it is the instant game collection, where they offer free games that you can download, and they remain free and working on your system as long as you're a Plus member. I have X-Com, Borderlands 2, and Arkham City all on my PS 3 for free, so it can be a really good deal if it's a game you missed or just never got around too (Arkham City for me). They also offer discounts on a LOT of games, and once purchased, they're yours, regardless of Plus membership.

Does Microsoft have a similar plan? I honestly don't know.

 

If they had made an option to not have a kinect, I would have gladly selected it. I don't anticipate ever using my kinect because the only movement I want to make when I'm playing video games are with my thumbs. And to get beer and snacks when I'm playing. They marketed the xbone to include soccer moms at the expense of their more die hard gamers. Now they are trying to pick up the pieces.

 

Yup. Check out the link I posted.

With Kinect essentially dead now, I'm curious as to how voice commands will work now. I really like the fact that I can control my Xbox with it and I'm not alone either. If there's no incentive for me to keep Kinect, er connected, I'd rather use my chat microphone or something.

 

I'm actually kind of surprised by this. The few people I know with XBones all tell me they never use the voice commands and find that particular system either useless or wonky. Maybe they just speak with stupid accents when I'm not around, but I doubt it.

Regardless, what XBone needs more than anything is some more top level console exclusives. Exclusives can sell a system. Everyone I know who had 360s got them for Halo and Gears of War, everything else was just gravy. Most people I know who got PS3s did so for Infamous, God of War, or Uncharted, and then the rest are on both systems.

Then there is Nintendo, sitting in the corner, clutching their Mario doll and crying.

 

This makes me sad. I had really high hopes for Nintendo. My favorite games are all Zelda, Mario, Mario kart, etc.

I don't own a WiiU yet. I figured I would get one in a few years when all the games are out for it that I want. Do you feel that it is just too gimmicky to succeed?

 

I feel like one of the few that owns a Wii U, and the games I have played on it have all been very enjoyable. I really do enjoy the remote-play of using the gamepad to play games while my wife or daughter watch TV. I love that aspect. The other good aspects of the WII are there, too (Classic games, motion-play for some games, etc). I can honestly say that, when I have played my Wii U, I have always enjoyed it, and never had a complaint.

The biggest mistake Nintendo made wasn't the gamepad (I actually think this is a brilliant tool when used properly), it was the graphics. Virtually every 3rd party publisher basically refuses to support the Wii U because its graphics are approximately on par with early PS3/Xbox 360 games, and that is as good as they get. On top of that, it is apparently very difficult to program for, and Nintendo is notoriously difficult to work with for 3rd party publishers. They got TOO focused on gimmicks and completely lost track of the need to upgrade video technology to keep up with their competitors. Without 3rd party support, the Wii U game library has been substandard, at best, and a downright shithole at worst.

The Wii was so dominant as a system because it was innovative and fun, and it was in so many homes that 3rd party publishers HAD to port their games to the Wii and focus on it. Because the Wii U has sold so poorly, 3rd party publishers now feel free to tell Mario to go fuck himself. Take EA for example, who has all but said they're not planning any Wii U titles. At all. And EA is one of (if not the) biggest 3rd party publishers. Nintendo made the mistake of thinking 3rd party publishers would need Nintendo, when the reality is that it is a completely symbiotic relationship.

I do think it will pick up with the release of the new Mario Kart and Smash Bros, but that also plays into Nintendo's biggest issue: the ONLY good games are first party games, and quite frankly, people are getting tired of Mario/Zelda/Metroid/Kart/Smash Bros, and it needs more. The reason no one has bought a Wii U is the same reason you haven't: why buy it before the good games come out, and oh yeah, we'll release it a full, solid 2 years before we have any good non-Mario games (for the record, Super Mario 3D World was fun as hell).

Nintendo fucked up the Wii U so bad that they're already talking about their next console. Keep in mind, the Wii lasted, what, 7 or 8 years? The Wii U will be lucky to last 4, and that's a shame.

 

The Wii U has some awesome games, but I do agree that missteps were made by Nintendo. While I would have supported better hardware in the system, I think some other changes could have made a big difference even with the same hardware. The Wii U should play Wii games in 1080p natively, not upscaled. Not in some stupid Wii channel. Way too cumbersome. Also, I wish more Virtual Console games were ported before release. How about all of them.

About the graphics though, that was a marketing error on Nintendo's part in my opinion. The Wii U isn't tremendously more powerful than the PS3 or Xbox 360, but it is more powerful. Most Wii U games run at 1080p (rendered, not upscaled from 720p or less like Xbox 360 and PS3 games) at 60 FPS. That might be kind of hard to market, but I think gamers today are savvy enough to know the difference. Wii U games look much better than Xbox 360 or PS3 games.

 

It really is.

I've been playing my own variation of the kolento midrange hunter deck and have managed to rank up to level 7 again. The UTH nerf really hurt hunters, but was obviously needed. Still, I've been doing okay and am really enjoying Hunter.

 

Damn. Rank 7. I got on a hot streak last night and finally made it to 15. I'm sure I'll lose 18 games in a row and fall back to 20 again.

 

Something similar happened to me in November. My early edition PS3 finally died after 7 years. I mean, it still turns on, but the disc drive is cooked. So when I get back to the states in August, I'll be buying a PS4. What are the best games for it so far?

 

Infamous: Second Son was very good, as was Assassins Creed IV. If you get the PS+, check out what free games they have available, too. Don't Starve has gotten a lot of rave reviews, and is a free downloadable game with PS plus, I believe.

 

I don't know if anyone is into fighting games, but a few days ago was the 15 year anniversary of SFIII: 3rd Strike. Still one of the most balanced (and hypest) fighting games IMO to this day.

 

So pringles...

 

Great article on some of the big names in e-sports history.

If you guys are wondering what e-sports is or why it matters, it's a decent first look.

 

Oh my fucking word.

Dark Souls II trolling is the best trolling.