[E3 2012] Predictions for Sony's Press Conference

Sorry, I lied! Since all press conference times are out and about, I'll take it in sequential order (Sony's Conference is June 5 at 9 PM EST, then Nintendo's the next day).

This year, much like Microsoft, Sony has gone on record and is not announcing any new hardware. Good, because they have a new system they released earlier this year that needs some dire attention and love'n. The one thing Sony should be doing with their PS3 is delivering some high-quality Move support, because, holy fuck, there has been little movement (no pun intended) on AAA games that make it stand out from what it was cloned from: the Wii.

Speaking of the Vita, Sony really needs to get some support out for the system. With a few heavy hitters falling a bit short of expectations (Uncharted, Katamari, and Ninja Gaiden to name a few), hot off the heels of Resistance: Burning Skies's late May release, Sony is going to flood the windows to our souls with some solid first-party and third-party support for the Vita. We've had Uncharted, now it's time for the other boys to step in. 

[E3 2012] Predictions For Microsoft's Press Conference

[UPDATE] If you caught this when it was originally published, things may look a little different. That was before I learned that EA and Ubisoft have conferences lined up as well as the Big 3. I updated my posting, but leaving the original content in-tact.

[ORIGINAL POST] With Microsoft's announcement earlier today about their press conference being broadcasted live simultaneously across the country on June 4 at 12:30 EST on Spike and on Xbox LIVE, it had me realize that E3 is just one month away as of tomorrow.

::squee!::

That realization had me start to think about what would happen at E3 with Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. Seeing as Microsoft is the first out of the gate to announce their conference time, I figured it'd be appropriate to let them lead the pack in my predictions.

So, without further adieu, I give you said predictions for Microsoft, laid out in a way that is vastly different than previous years:

[ODDITIES] Game Prices Haven't Gone Up, They've Gone Down!

I'm strolling through Kotaku, making my rounds on RSS stories I've bookmarked, and I get to this story claiming that - again - used games are killing developers and are prohibiting freedom for fresh ideas (read: new IPs). One Crytek developer was quoted with "It's weird that [second-hand] is still allowed because it doesn't work like that in any other software industries, so it would be great if they could somehow fix that issue as well."

I'm sorry, what? You think that second-hand is ludicrous? Is it a crime to sell off your old crap you don't want anymore? What about borrowing? I'm sure that's not frowned upon, considering we all did it as kids. And making that connection with "other software industries" is completely moot. "Other software industries" would be what in your eye? Operating systems? Photoshop? ACID? Those are programs, not means of entertainment; these programs require licenses. Video games are exactly that: games. Did I have to sign a "do not resell" waiver when my parents bought board games back in the 90's? What about movies? There's nothing wrong with reselling used movies. CDs? HA! Don't get me started.

Throughout the comments on Kotaku, one caught my eye by Trasken, saying "there wouldn't be so many used games if prices weren't jacked up so high and if more quality games were released". He had a few replies, so I had to check it out, as that comment - poorly worded, and not pre-prepared to defend itself - had some replies. This guy, Odin, caught my attention: "What's funny is the price of games has actually gone down over the years. I have no idea why people seem to think they've gone up", then linked to this 1UP story back in March, detailing price of games adjusted for inflation, making the argument the other way around: game prices have gone down.

Now, that got some gears turning, and I had it set that I'd reply to him, but it got so lengthy, I said "fuck it" and decided to bring it here:

[FUCK IT] Mini Reviews, Coming At'Cha!

Alright, so I give in. The incessant need for me to complain/praise games is taking a back seat to school and work, so now, I'm giving reviews this way: I'm taking my former reviews and streamlining them, giving you as much as you need to know, but not inundating you with crap.

Ready?

I'll be doing this is small bursts, with a small handful of games each post (something like 3-5 games each), so, you know, FYI.

Deus Ex: Human Revolution
Release Date: August 23, 2011
System Reviewed: Xbox 360

What's Great: Fantastic game, fluid controls, fairly easy to navigate maps, multitude of methods of finishing objective/taking out enemies. Hacking has to be my most favorite aspect. Shooting/cover mechanics of Rainbow Six: Vegas, interrogation aspects similar of LA Noire, inventory management of Resident Evil 4, stealth elements stolen borrowed from Metal Gear Solid and Splinter Cell...it's like they took all of my favorite games and threw into in an orgy pit.

What's (Not So) Great: Maps can be very overwhelming at first and the upgrade system is not as robust as you think a cybernetically augemented man would have access to (most of the upgrades can be avoided). Story can be hard to follow, but fans will definitely pick up on the little things that confuse those who's first foray into Deus Ex is this game (such as myself)

Bottom Line: This is an absolutely fantastic game. Even if you haven't played the originals, DE:HR is something everyone should play, and it's in my list of contenders for Game of the Year.

Grade: A