[E3 2015] Predictions

I won't bother you with a "sorry I haven't posted in a while sob story" and get straight to it: E3 kicks off tonight with Bethesda, and while I could sit here and ramble off what they're going to talk about, it's all known: Fallout 4, Dishonored 2, Doom reboot...

That doesn't interest me. 

What does interest me is talking about the known unknowns: the stuff we know that we don't know. Taking rumors and substantiating them. Making sense of the mess that surrounds the pre-E3 hype. There are nine conferences in the next three days: Bethesda tonight; Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, and Sony tomorrow; Nintendo, Square, and "PC gaming" on Tuesday.

It's going to be a busy next few days.

I won't have time to discuss all nine, so I'm just going to take the Big Three - Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo - and discuss my top five, not-in-order, predictions for what could (and, in some cases, should) come of their conferences.

[E3 2014] Microsoft Predictions

I'll be breaking up my predictions into platform specific (Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony), along with a post dedicated to third-parties. I don't have a schedule, but expect all four posts to be published before E3's start. Check out the hub for other prediction posts as they're published.

Microsoft has to run a marathon next month. They've teased the future, but haven't shown anything tangible. They've announced two key pieces for their future: offering the Xbox One without Kinect for $100 less (which I've covered in great detail), and Halo 5: Guardians is a real thing, but not until next year. The hype train is about to leave the station for Microsoft, so all aboard.

The Expected

We should be getting (in the very least) a proper trailer for Halo 5: Guardians on stage at E3, but how is Microsoft going to go two years without Halo on the Xbox One? Frankly, they're not. That's why Halo 2 Anniversary Edition will be announced for a 2014 release. This isn't speculation, this is grounded in reality; 2014 is the ten year anniversary of Halo 2. Bonnie Ross, GM of 343, had said last year "in 2014, Halo combat will truly evolve and your journey with Halo on Xbox One begins." Yes, that was last year, but she remained adamant during the Halo 5: Guardians announcement that Halo on Xbox One starts this year, and it's good to know; this would come to be the second holiday season without Master Chief. 

[E3 2014] Your Speculation Destination

I'll be breaking up my predictions into platform specific (Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony), along with a post dedicated to third-parties. I don't have a schedule, but expect all four posts to be published before E3's start. Keep your eyes here on the hub for each prediction post as it's published.

[UPDATE 4] Your final update is here; third-party predictions are live, and not a moment to spare!

[UPDATE 3] Well, shit, that was fast. Sony predictions are up!

[UPDATE 2] Microsoft predictions are live!

[UPDATE] Nintendo speculations are now live! Check the link at the bottom of the post.

We're just a few weeks away from the start of E3, the first of the eighth generation where all three major players - Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony - have their newest systems out in full force. While the Xbox One and PS4 are not even a year old, Nintendo is in the second year of the Wii U, but has the most work to do. The PS4 has already over taken Nintendo in sales by a million and a half, but Microsoft is still trailing behind. Way behind.

And here you thought that Titanfall was going to help.

Even two months after Titanfall and Microsoft giving it away, they are still trailing behind Sony by 3 million units. Nintendo is in a stride, clocking in a respectable 6.2 million units, two and a half years after it's release. While several million sounds nice, they're going at about 350,000 a month, whereas Microsoft is more than double that, and Sony adding a "1" to the front of that number. 

E3 has always been a time where the big boys show off what they have in store. We've seen some promises of some key franchises, or at least them alluding to them, but nothing has been concrete. 

I've said that Nintendo has the most to earn at E3: a lot of their key franchises have yet to hit the system after this long (or even be announced), their online infrastructure sucks, and their DRM is pathetic. They need to earn gamers and consumers back to the Wii brand by educating them on what the system does, prove it has games to play by actually showing games - ones that people will want to play - and by overhauling what the system is capable of. They need Santa giving out blowjobs again (yes, the link is SFW). 

Sony, on the other hand, has the most to lose: they're in the lead, still running off of Jack Tretton's E3 2013 steam, with a 3 million unit lead on Microsoft. They need to come out swinging, again, with reveals of new IPs and new entries in established franchise. Not only that, but show the future of what the PlayStation systems (both the 4 and Vita) can do, and what they can do together.

Microsoft, however, has the most to prove: they're in the biggest rut, still making repairs from Don Mattrick's horrible attempt to make repairs since last year. They need to prove that they've been listening to gamers - those they lost to Sony - by showing off what the Xbox One is capable of, and what experiences they've been working on. 

What do I expect from everyone? A lot, actually.

Nintendo - Now Available
Microsoft - Now Available
Sony - Now Available
Third-Parties - Now Available

[PRE-E3] Xbox One Impressions

Top-to-bottom: HAL-10000, a VCR, and the Xbox One controller.

In just one hour, Microsoft unveiled the Xbox One, the hot new shit that gamers will (or may not) want later this year. While they have opened the flood gates for their steps in the next generation, they've left behind some impressions - some good, mostly bad - with mainstream media and gamers, alike. Already, Microsoft has disabled comments on all Xbox One YouTube videos. That should paint a picture of how bad the situation is.

It's always great to hear about the wonders of what a new generation of gaming machines can offer, but we are entering dangerous waters with the concept of always-on (forcing you to maintain an internet connection, alienating the areas of the world that don't have immediate access to broadband internet), multi-media aspects (detract from the meat of the system, the games), and a multitude of others.

The eighth generation of gaming consoles are upon us, and E3 is not even a week away, where more questions will be answered (and unanswered). What do we know about the Xbox One? Well...

Xbox Bingo Results

Your Xbox conference is done with.

Regardless of how you enjoyed it, here's the results of our bingo results for Microsoft's conference.

24 options, 7 misses, one questionable.

1. To Infinity, and Beyond! - Nope. Xbox One is what they decided to go with.
2. What Would They Do Without Him - Apparently, a lot. Halo didn't show up, but they couldn't resist plastering Halo 4 art into their Xbox One promos, considering the system isn't backwards compatible.
3. Larger LIVE Presence on iOS/Android - Nothing yet, but E3 is right around the corner.
4. Bungie: They'll Find a Way - Sadly, no. Again, E3 is creeping up on us.
5. MS Points Get Axed - Nothing confirmed. Microsoft barely touched on the Marketplace on Tuesday, so we may get more news soon.
6. Xbox Mini - Considering Microsoft is going hard with the "it's not backwards compatible," they may answer that question soon.
7. IllumiRoom Finds a Way to Show Up - It hasn't shown up. Yet...
8. Next-Gen Wireless - We still don't have a solid answer. While Wireless-N is on-board, the controllers are on a different frequency, which alienates all wireless 360 controllers.

Asides from our misses, used games will play in some capacity. Microsoft did talk about 3rd party games, despite showing only one. They couldn't shut up about the new Kinect, but did skip right over official Blu-ray support. Sharing is something they loved mentioning, and the SmartGlass overhaul made it's debut. While not immediately evident, Microsoft has been battling a PR nightmare over contradicting statements, causing nothing but awkward moments across the internet. Don Mattrick couldn't resist being there, and LIVE did get it's upgrade in the form of 300,000 servers. The new Xbox One controller was shown, and quite possible, was the best thing to look at during the whole thing, even better than the purported "next-gen" tech going into Call of Duty: Ghosts. They're not ready to talk pricing, but they're sure finding a way to get you to not give you their money by hammering on about the cable bridge support, quasi-always-on requirement, and live TV support. It wouldn't have been anything without a subtle stab at Sony by showing the system off first thing in the conference.

E3 is now just over 2 weeks away. Microsoft is battling an uphill battle, with a good portion of the gaming community even considering the Wii U as something they'd want to buy, considering it doesn't have an always-on requirement, it can play used games, and there's no privacy concerns regarding a camera with a built-in microphone that's always listening.

Xbox LIVE 10-Year Anniversary Consoles Aren't the Only Things Microsoft is Giving Away

You know that fancy-schmancy Xbox 360 that Microsoft is sending out to those that've been on Xbox LIVE Gold ever since it's inception 10 years ago? Well, it looks like they're sending out something else.

I've been on Xbox LIVE for 7 years, if you believe my "Tenure" status on my XBL profile. It's been an on-and-off relationship, as I'm currently a Free/Silver subscriber (membership expired a few weeks ago).

I just got an email from Xbox LIVE Rewards VIP Exclusives, including some snazzy stats (check out the full image after the break, tho, it says I have 0 friends (lies!), 0 hours in entertainment (believable) and 0 hours in multiplayer (definitely believable), all over the course of the past year), as well as as voucher for the little number you see above: an Xbox Anniversary-themed Helmet. It may not be free Gold, or that special system, but free, exclusive digital content to show off to others?

Yea, sure, why not?

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; End Game

We're almost done! The fifth, and final, installment of this editorial of mine on the Wii U. Exactly how does Nintendo expect to win over their long-time fans, those they swooned with the Wii, and the developers they desperately need to create invigorating experiences? Where can Nintendo go from here, and how can they make sure they utilize their one year's head start and keep Microsoft and Sony off of their heels? Keep reading to find out...

Over the years, Nintendo has never really been known for having powerful hardware, but more of having a powerful library of IPs and franchises they could put on that hardware. Between their top franchises - Mario, Pokémon, and The Legend of Zelda, to name a few - Nintendo has a very compelling catalog. Asides from the already announced New Super Mario Bros. U, along side Pikmin 3, they are the only "main" Nintendo properties on the system announced thus far. It's assumed we'll see Link in Hyrule Field soon enough (whether or not it'll be similar to the HD demo we've seen is yet to be known, so don't go believing rumors quite yet), and we're hoping for a new Metroid and StarFox entry within a reasonable time. We haven't gotten wind of what's going on, but that's OK. What concerns me the most is that, despite Nintendo already having a fairly solid lineup for the system, their third parties are only content with bringing ports, and the Wii U needs more than that.

This is not enough to get me to buy the Wii U version.

Having Assassin's Creed III and Batman: Arkham City - the two power-house third-party games - on the system is great; the crowds were almost over-gasped when they announced them. Arkham City was a great game, but it's a year old. Assassin's Creed III is bound to be a fantastic entry, but it's a month and a half after it's initial release on other systems that people already own. I've yet to meet someone who is holding out for the Wii U versions of these games. We don't need ports that restructure the game and make it appear "tailored" to the Wii U; remember back to Sony saying they don't want Wii ports for the Move. There needs to be fresh experiences, and being exclusive helps.

Two prime examples are ZombiU and Rayman Legends. Coincidentally, they're both from Ubisoft, who has stated they don't plan on investing too much into the system, but after the purported shit-storm Nintendo caused between themselves and EA over using the Nintendo Network as an Origin platform, it looks more like Ubisoft and Nintendo are best buds. I don't expect too much from EA, as the gimped Madden 13 doesn't speak well for their integrity with their Wii U releases, but there are plenty of other third party developers Nintendo can woo.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Installment 04

We're back with part 4 of this massive editorial, focusing on Nintendo's direction competition: Sony, Microsoft, and Apple, and what they have geared up for their respective futures. Nintendo has a conference coming up on September 13, where the final bits of news is expected to be released. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

This year, we see Nintendo not only initiate the eighth generation of home consoles, but this is the first time in Nintendo's history since the NES that they've released a console before their competition. Not only is this an incredibly bold move by Nintendo, but it's also naive. They're allowing their competition know how they're handling their new system, giving them a deep insight to their plans, and adjust accordingly. Assuming the Wii U lands in November, that gives Microsoft and Sony 7 months between then and E3 next year to tweak their battle plans and come out swinging. That is, if Nintendo is tight-lipped on pertinent info that won't come to light until the release; otherwise, if this upcoming press conference is much more info than just pricing and release date, that makes it 9 months. Seven to nine months is enough time to tweak just about anything they need to; if Microsoft can take SmartGlass from initial on-paper design to displayable prototype to the masses in twelve months, then three-fourths of that time is ample.

* * *

To date, Microsoft hasn't said shit on the Xbox Next (or Durango, Xbox 720, Xbox Infinite, what have you). If you recall that document leak back in June, Microsoft actually confirmed it to be legitimate, even if it was "out-dated" by their measures. Regardless, it's interesting information. Things such as Project Fortaleza (or "Kinect Glasses") seems to bridge Kinect elements with Google Glasses concepts. Halo 5 isn't billed as a launch title, but it's coming shortly after. The Kinect 2 appears to want to talk to Xbox controllers for further integration. The system itself is to be $200-300, the same price range it's at now. There's a lot going on in there, but the juiciest information is right above. 

Microsoft's back catalog of games needs some love, especially Rare. They've been on the front lines lately, with the various Kinect Sports games, and the minds behind Avatars. Despite this pivotal piece for Microsoft, Rare hasn't done shit with their respective properties since Banjo-Kajooie: Nuts & Bolts. What about Killer Instinct 3? Where the hell has Joanna Dark been? My most important question is "why hasn't Rare made a new IP?". That question may be answered with the next generation; hell, we may even get to see that realistic Kameo sequel. If you unleash Rare, the last few ounces of faith I have in them tells me that, since they've been away from their original IPs over the course of the 00s, they can very well come back with a slew of fresh ideas for Banjo, Perfect Dark, and Kameo.

I've already talked my head off of how SmartGlass may very well become something great; I'm not going to banter on any further. I will, however, drop this nugget in here: if they really wanted to be sly enough, release the SmartGlass app on the 3DS and the Vita.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Thrice

If you caught the subtle music reference, good on you.

In this third installment, we're all about how you interact with the Wii U, primarily, the GamePad. We're gearing up for the September 13 conference Nintendo is holding. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

The biggest hurdle that Nintendo has in this generation, asides from not knowing a fucking thing that Sony and Microsoft are doing, is convincing people - customers and developers - that the GamePad is worth the investment. The GamePad, in itself, is an amalgamation of various technology knick-knacks we've grown accustomed to over the years. One part tablet, one part controller, squeeze in some social networking, add a touch of NFC (Near-Field Communication), and you've got a clusterfuck of gizmos.

By and large, it's main goal is to be a controller. In reality, it's nothing more than a gigantic, single-screened DS. Think about it: your TV would be the top screen, delivering the goodies to your noodle, while the controller's screen - a touch enabled screen, mind you - is where you interact with the game, with menu inputs, maps, inventory management...all the shit we've seen in DS games over the past 8 years. If the GamePad is allowing you to play the Wii U games on the controller, what's the point of the 3DS?

Between the 3DS, the GamePad, and the Wii U, cross-play gaming should be a no-brainer. Sega, of all companies, started the whole cross-play aspect with the Dreamcast and the Visual Memory Unit (or the VMU); sadly, it didn't catch on like it should have, as the technology then was severely limiting it. Then, Nintendo caught on with the GameCube and the GameBoy Advance, and the connection using the Link Cable; this was a hindrance, as some games (such as Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles) didn't suggest using the GBA, it was almost forced. Next up to the plate was Sony, and while the PSP was a great move forward with interlinking home console and portable system, the Vita is where it took off, as your game saves could go back and forth, making the Vita a true "portable PlayStation", despite some severe limitations. Where Sega started, Nintendo innovated, and Sony took on full-force.

* * *

A fantastic idea.
Also, the worst infographic ever.

The Vita, despite having sluggish sales and a poor library thus far (with a few gems), the connection there between it and the PS3 is fairly remarkable. I recently picked up WipEout 2048 on the Vita, but only after it was announced that WipEout HD's content was going to be a free download for anyone who owns both versions. It was a great step forward for the cross-compatibility, but there are huge hurdles that need to be gotten rid of. Main point? Why the fuck do I need to own a copy on both systems in order to bring it over? Much like Digital Copy and Ultraviolet for DVDs, or even ripping my CDs to my computer and dumping them on my iPhone, why in the name of fuck can't I get a digital download of the Vita version if I buy the PS3 version? Thankfully, Sony has recently unveiled their Cross Buy platform at Gamescom, where if you buy the PS3 version, you get the Vita version for free. They've yet to detail the program - Can I buy the Vita version and get the PS3 verison? Is it a digital version of the Vita game? - but Sony has some big games lined up for the service, and is definitely a welcomed addition.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U; Part Deux

Here's part two of my mass-editorial I will be publishing, focusing on Nintendo, the Wii U, and just how plausible its success really is, leading up to the conference they're holding on September 13. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

A powerful system cannot be the only crutch Nintendo can lean on. They need help, and they need to make people know they're still innovating. Sadly, their own innovation may be their own downfall, as others are quick on their heels, even before they get out the door...

Since the GameCube, Nintendo has been showing its age. When the Wii launched, many gave Nintendo hell, referring to it as the "GameCube 1.5", as it didn't have the technical glitz nor glamour as the Xbox 360 or the PS3; it was only slightly more powerful than the Xbox. Yes, the GameCube could do [insert advantage here] and the PS2 could do [insert another one here], but the Xbox was often regarded as the powerhouse of the last generation.

Despite the lack of power, the Wii held its own while completely ignoring HDMI and (at the very least) 720p, two modern entertainment staples. Microsoft even caught itself in a fault, and added HDMI to the Xbox 360 mid-life-cycle, something fans and critics alike had hoped for in a revised Wii HD. Regardless, Nintendo skipped the revision and came full force with the Wii U (much like how they skipped on bringing the Wii Remote to the GameCube and made it less of an afterthought and more of the main attraction), including many missed opportunities the Wii left behind. It has been reported by third parties that the Wii U will be drastically underpowered compared to the Xbox Next and PS4/Orbis; Epic says that Unreal Engine 4-powered games won't find life on the Wii U past the first generation without being severely dumbed down.

Best joke ever!
Image credit: http://www.roboawesome.com/?p=16875

Fortunately, that may not be the case...

A recent report from BGR says that the Xbox Next (or Durango; what have you) will be running an eight-core CPU with 8 GB of RAM. Despite this sounding fairly powerful, this same report puts it at six times more powerful than the 360. If this report is true - which I'm taking it with the largest grain of salt known to man - then that means it's only marginally more powerful than the Wii U, which has been described as "definitely more powerful than Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3" by 5th Cell (the guys behind Scribblenauts). This puts the Wii U at about 2-4 times more powerful than the Xbox 360.

This becomes a contradiction with a recent statement from Sumo Digital's executive producer Steve Lycett (Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed) saying the Wii U "looks as good any of the HD platforms". He quickly brings our hopes back up with this number: "The Wii U has way more memory, so we can take advantage of that with less compression on elements and textures, so [Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing Transformed] will look all lovely and shiny."

Now, we all know that we shouldn't be asking "how many more times" is one system more powerful than another, but used as a general rule of thumb; despite the GameCube being regarded as an inferior system, it could still do things better than the PS2 and Xbox, something I'm hoping repeats itself with the Wii U.

[EDITORIAL] What Nintendo Needs to Do With the Wii U

The Next Big Innovation?

What you're witnessing is the first part of a planned five for a mass-editorial I will be publishing, focusing on Nintendo, the Wii U, and just how plausible its success really is, leading up to the conference they're holding on September 13. History has shown that Nintendo loves September announcements for pricing/availability for their upcoming systems, so expect this day to be the day we learn how much of a hit our credit cards are to take.

May we look at Nintendo's competitors - or their own history - as inspiration for the Wii U's success? What about where they look for inspiration? What proof do we currently have that the Wii U may, or may not, be successful?

It's coming. It's inevitable. We stand on the precipice of a new generation's step forward into the spotlight. Nintendo is ushering in the eighth generation at the end of this year, and with it brings another flurry of criticisms and skepticisms. We saw it when Nintendo showed off the Wii's controller, unveiled the system as the 'Wii', and when they laid out technical specs on the system; just Google around for it, and you'll see it around the internet. Hell, it even happened with the GameCube (what with it's purple lunchbox attire) and the Nintendo 64 with it's cartridge-based games; Nintendo always receives criticism when a new system comes out.

When Nintendo first showed us the (then named) Revolution's controller, I, myself, was taken aback. It was a radical approach to a growing problem: lack of innovation. Nintendo broke conventional means of controller design they themselves created in the mid-80s, and every other console manufacturer stuck to since. Nintendo gave us some fine examples of what the controller could do, what with the pointer acting as an excellent approach to first-person games, or the accelerometers acting as their own method of input; Nintendo was ready to reinvent, or out-right create, new genres. The most ludicrous - or, dare I say, crazy - part about the entire endeavor? They knew people would buy it, and ended up ushering in the fitness craze in video games with their own Wii Fit, and others followed suit. The (purely) motion controlled games such as the pack-in Wii Sports - where there was minimal button pressing, and actually acting out what you wanted to do - was groundbreaking at the time; Nintendo is constantly seen as a key innovator in this field.

Six years later, Nintendo is in full pre-production of the Wii U, getting it's brand new system geared up for the holiday release. The Wii proved successful, because it hadn't been done before. One factor Nintendo is banking on to encourage customers to buy into their name all over again is the backwards compatibility. Not with just the games, but with every accessory made for the Wii, including games, downloaded or not; Nintendo could easily market this as "buy the new system, keep all of your old shit". The Wii U, on the other hand, is building off of two things: the established success of the Wii by keeping the name - falling victim to "sequelitis", much like the Xbox and PlayStation - and the booming success of the tablet craze Apple ushered in with the iPad.

Yes, I'm saying it: Nintendo is looking to Apple for ideas.

[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:

[RESOLVED!] 0 Microsoft Points: How My Xbox Account Was Hacked

We've seen the stories online about the hacking that's been going on with Xbox LIVE over the past few months, what with Kotaku picking it up from the Hacked on Xbox Tumblr account that's become the "poster child" of the issue, what with her getting invites to podcasts and interviews, this gives credence to what has happened to me in the past 6 hours.

It all started when I tried to get on my Xbox. I was greeted with a screen asking which account I wanted to log into. My brother recently downloaded his profile to my system, so I figured that may have tweaked with the auto-sign-in thing I had going on. Well, I kept getting an error that I couldn't sign on to Xbox LIVE. I Googled around, and it pointed to a password reset.

Sure, why not? I mean, my password had been around for a while, a change is good, right?

I got my password changed, but before I left my computer for my Xbox 5 feet away, a tiny glimmer in the top corner of my screen caught my eye:

Microsoft Shits on Xbox Indie Devs...Again

With the aftermath of the Fall 2011 Xbox "Metro" Update clearing (what with server downtimes, the 10am software push not hitting until several hours later and all that jazz), Microsoft has, yet again, gut-punched their Xbox Indie devs with terrible sorting options and incorporating the Indie games elsewhere asides from a 2200-title-long list of all Indie games.

When the NXE first hit the Xbox some 3 years ago, Microsoft shunned Indie devs by corralling them into a deep, dark, dank corner of the 360's GUI. When Indie's first heard of it, a shit-storm brewed. Microsoft apologized and issued a server-side update that pushed Indie's to a more prominent position on the Game Marketplace.

Now, with the Metro update, Microsoft is at it again, pushing the Indie devs further into aforementioned secluded corner of the Game Marketplace, alongside Xbox Originals and other games Microsoft feels aren't doing too hot.

The above video, uploaded by YouTube guy GameMarx, splices in lines of "truth" when Major Nelson utters a few lines about the Metro update, then for a good 5 minutes, shows how bad Indie devs have been beaten into a corner.

I, myself, have only downloaded one Indie game, I MAED A GAM3 W1TH Z0MBIES 1N IT!!!1, is fairly fun. However, I haven't kept tabs on what Indie games are good and which ones aren't so hot. Besides that point, and as I've made clear throughout the history of this blog, I'm in early pre-development of my own game, Project Mercury, and I would hate to have my game, along with my brethren, treated in such a manner.

How do you go about making sure Microsoft knows that they took a huge shit on Indie devs? Link to this post, any post, about what Microsoft has done, and share the above YouTube video with others. Cause a stink, rile up some friends, hell, email Microsoft's Xbox division and tell them what they've done. Hopefully they simply forgot, what with all the ad-space they now have with the Metro update...

Microsoft Flubs Up, Outs Halo 4, Halo: CE Remake and Others

Just before I head out the door to attend to some pre-E3 errands, I catch this in my RSS inbox: Kotaku snagged this image of Microsoft's E3 website - which was ripped down as quickly as it was put up - that outs not only the re-confirmation of the Halo: Combat Evolved remake (with a sub-subtitle of "Anniversary"), but also Halo 4, promising not just a return to Bungie's Halo-verse, but leaving with a tease of "that's not all".

Also on the image:

• Gears of War 3
• Modern Warfare 3
• Ryse (Kinect)
• Kinect Star Wars
• Dance Central 2
• Halo: Combat Evolved Remake
• Kinect Sports Season 2
• Seasame Street: Once Upon a Monster (Double Fine?)
• Kinect Fun Labs
• Summer of Arcade
• Halo 4*

Halo 4 isn't in the list, but that giant image in the middle of Chief beaming Cortana out of his helmet onto a flat surface (the ending from Halo 3). The return of the Summer of Arcade promotion is warming, knowing that some bomb-ass XBLA games are on their way.

[Via Kotaku]

What Happened to "Bringing it Home"?

So, we all remember Bringing it Home, right? Microsoft's way of bringing the big name events to your home, via Xbox LIVE (read: PFM) and you just gobble up the freebies. E3, TGS, Comic-Con...it was all there.

Then, all of the sudden, it disappeared.

It would bring up a ton of content from aforementioned conventions: themes, GamerPics, demos and premium content (oh, the demos). Hell, this is how gamers got their first taste of Too Human, back in 2008 during E3's BIH event that year.

I've contacted Microsoft to get an answer. I'll update once they do.

[ANALYSIS] Microsoft Prices Out "Cost of Ownership" For Motion Gaming

You've gotta love this one. After Major Nelson posted the official pricing for Kinect, gamers began criticizing Microsoft's expensive approach. Well, Microsoft was quick with the Reggie-style graphs, and cranked out these lovely beauties (originally spotted on Kotaku):

First, we see Microsoft trying to justify the price of Kinect. They say that Kinect is cheaper for a new system owner across all three systems. They undercut Nintendo by $60, and Sony by a whopping $210. That's not all.

Here, they take on existing system owners, which I fall into (for all three). Kinect is just $10 shy of Nintendo, where as Sony is a full next-gen game above Microsoft. Let's delve past through the corporate bullshit and get some rectifying done.

Microsoft Conference Round-Up

The Microsoft media briefing took place on June 14, 2010, at 1:30 PM EST. Television broadcast was made available (and commercial-free, thank god) by Spike, which I watched the entire hour-and-a-half thing (I'm starting to get used to this).

Don Mattrick unveils a multi-year agreement with Activision that all map packs for the next three years for Call of Duty will launch first on the 360. Damn.

Hideo Kojima showed up to unveil Metal Gear Solid: Rising, but passed the unveiling off to Rising's producer, because, let's be honest, Hideo's English isn't all that hot, so he would feel highly uncomfortable to keep talking in a language he isn't familiar with. It was mainly a gameplay trailer, and it looks to play just like Devil May Cry. Watermelon cutting never looked so cool.

Cliff Blezinski came on stage, and gave a demo of a 4-player co-op campaign story chapter from Gears of War 3. It showed off the new lambent-infused enemies. Dismemberment galore. New melee kills (bayonet on your Lancer? yes, please). Weapon swapping, omni-directional damage indicator, and those new lambent enemies are shown to be tough as shit (it took all 4 of them to take them down, so teamwork is a must). They even send out baddies; the bigger the tentacles, the bigger the enemies that spawn from them, Berserker included, and a nice little Hammer of Dawn kill at the end. A new mode was hinted at, called "Beast." Uh-oh.

Peter Molyneux was there for Fable III, which takes place 50 years after Fable II, and to be honest, I couldn't care less.

Microsoft Games Studio's new, exclusive partner, Crytek (really?), with the game, codenamed Kingdoms. Looks very medieval.

Here's were Halo Reach comes in, and Bungie's creative director, Marcus Lehto, with a campaign level reveal. Looks like Elites have Spartan tech (Armor Lock, specifically). Seems like Rockets can lock on again (judging by the targeting reticule).

How Sony won the last-gen, and how they'll probably win this gen: rebranding

This title has been in the drafts since December 17, so it's not all too familiar with my growing trend of getting partway through a draft, saving it for months on end and casually finishing it.

Ever since Sony announced the PS3 Slim, I had a slight inclination to buy one, purely out of the new design. I grew out of it, and never looked back; I still have my 1st-gen 60GB PS3 that can play my PS2 games (suck it, Sony). Another thing around that time was Sony had changed the way PS3 game's slipcovers look:

As you can see, Sony got rid of the Spider-Man font, and threw everything up top. Hell, they even started to brand which games were PS-only for the first time ever. But, there is a certain...allure to the rebranding here that makes it more appealing. It almost seems, dare I say, less threatening than the original?

What Microsoft Needs To Do To Revamp Achievements

Yesterday, I got the full 1,000 available GamerScore for Assassin's Creed II. That makes my thirteenth game - according to my 360 - that I've gotten 100% Achievements for (15, if you count Resident Evil 5 and Tomb Raider: Legend, both of which I've earned all retail achievements). That's a pretty astonishing feat for myself, considering I don't necessarily go out of my way to nab all of the Achievements or Trophies in a 360 or PS3 game, respectively. For those wanting to keep record, I've gotten five Platinum Trophies for my PS3, and I've completed an additional two other games, bring that number to seven, fully completed games. Remember, when I say "fully completed," I mean "all Trophies/Achievements."

When Sony came into the "gamer rewards" program, they were pretty late to the game; the PS3 firmware update that enabled Trophy support hit nearly two years ago (July will be the two year mark), and that was two and a half years behind Microsoft and their Achievements system, which shat all over the industry, creating a unifying system that brought all games together, forcing gamers to become so-called Achievement Whores, increasing their - I fucking hate this phrase - "E-Peen." However, Sony did an incredibly interesting thing when they introduced the Platinum trophies.