Why You Should Never trust Video Game Reviews

 We have seen it happen over and over again. A great new IP shows up in the video game market only to be shot down by bias reviews and these games never see daylight again. This is more true when it comes to imported video games that depend on decent sales for these developers to keep releasing for the West. Unfortunately, almost every time a new Japanese franchise import looks likely they are swiftly crushed by bias mainstream reviewers who have the worst taste in video games and still hold high positions in America's most influential video game networks.
  If you are a true hardcore gamer, or even a gamer with some self respect, you will mostly avoid the mainstream video game reviews and purchase games that you are interested in and rent those of which your not so sure about. Keep in mind that these "video game experts" who work for mainstream outlets give Call Of Duty top scores year after year even though these games are stale and their sales dropping yearly. These are nothing more than attempts to keep big corporations happy as the reviewer advances their career at the cost of their self dignity.
  I have even seen in real time a major gaming network give a game a horrible score just because their free review copy was sent to them late. You see, if your a developer and/or a video game corporation ( I'm not naming any names .... EA ) you know that for your games to be treated with any kind of respect from the snakes sitting behind desks writing articles about COD perks you better send them lots of free stuff like games, consoles, electronics, ect. These things assure a decent review from these industry leaches.
 Here is a great example of bias reviews : A major video game network ( name withheld ) has been getting paid to put Call Of Duty Ghosts advertisements all over their websites and even on their banners on Youtube. These guys are basically on the payroll of these developers so when the game is released they cant just say " sorry everyone..... we told you this game was going to be great for months and sold you pre-orders right from our YT banners, but; the game is out now and it sucks". No, that's not how it happens..... these reviewers are in the pockets of these developers/corporations lock , stock and barrel. All that advertisement and promotion money gets the game a minimum of an 8/10 even if its the worst game in the world. Come on everyone...... they gave COD Ghosts a 9/10 and that's one of the worst Call Of Duties ever made hands down. Looks like first person shooters are the only games in the West that get good reviews. Sometimes they are forced to give indies decent reviews but even these don't make any sense most of the time. They treated Guacamelee like it was a masterpiece and because of their most strident great reviews purchased the game both for my PS3 and PS Vita only to find out that the game was good but hardly worth a purchase rather than a rental considering the game can be beating within a few paltry hours.
  The very worst is the stated above bad biased treatment of imported games ( mostly from Japan ). These games are eagerly awaited from hundreds of thousands if not millions of fans in the West only to be reviewed by some nerd first person shooter junky thus destroying any chances of future localization in the West. These video game leeches have and will again destroy great import IP's with a single review forcing the Japanese developers to pass Western releases because they realize that these nerds only like first person shooters and even those have to be exactly like the FPS before it to get a good review.
  I have played hundreds of games that reviewers had giving horrible reviews only to find that the majority of these are just fine....... they just chose not to advertise or spend money to sponsor their games on these very reviewers  networks thus the low scores. Stop taking others people words for your own , after all these people have entirely different tastes in not only video games but movies, cloths, cars, ect......... be your own person and learn from your own mistakes, otherwise, your not your own person but a simple tool of another.

Sony : "No More 3rd Party Support For Vita" .

 Just the other day Sony made a rather nasty announcement concerning the Playstation Vita in that Sony will no longer be supporting 3rd party games for the handheld console. This is bad news for those like me who have invested heavily in the PS Vita. Sony announced that the Vita will focus mostly on indie titles and PS4 remote play. So now that the days of Persona 4 Golden and triple A Vita titles like Killzone Mercenary gone, what are we going to do with this $300 paperweight? Well, I have an idea....... invest in digital PSP titles. Still keep your hard copies of Dragons Crown and Gravity Rush, however, the Vita's PSP library is rather large and bursting with great games.
 Which PSP games should I get for my Vita you ask? Well, the answer to that question is easy even if you initially do not agree with me. I have spent over a thousand dollars on digital games from PSN, a majority of it for the PS Vita and I can tell you that some of the very best games for Sony's handheld are PS1 classics and PSP games. The digital collection of PSP titles are amazing and contain some of the best games of all time and are truly timeless in that you can never grow tired in playing them. These kind of games are the best because they can offer hundreds of hours of gameplay, many different endings and replay value galore. Who cares about AAA Vita games that you can beat in less than 5 hours when you can invest between $10-$20 on a timeless classic which never grows old and seems as though it was meant to be played in the palm of your hand for many, many months.
  One of the very best games that fall into the above category of timeless greats which offer almost endless play value is the classic PS1 game turned PSP remake "Final Fantasy Tactics : The War Of The Lions". This is the premier game of all time and if you never even liked Final Fantasy games .... its still all good because this does not play like a FF game in that it is a tactical strategy game and the best ever made on any platform. This game runs for $10 on PSN as a Vita download and I give you my word is one of the best boredom killers all of all time and is easily worth $20 instead of the $10 asking price. Sure, this game will kick your teeth in if this is your first ( or even second ) tactical RPG, however, if you can figure out the mechanics and master the first few stages after a few re-starts ...... you'll be on your way on one of the greatest video gaming adventures you have ever embarked upon.
 So, to make a long story short ...... Sony has turned its back on the Playstation Vita just as we all feared they would. They continuously fail to announce new games besides cheep indies and HD remakes. They announced that they will no longer support 3rd party AAA development for the handheld console as to focus on indies and PS4 remote play. So while your waiting for that AAA title or 3rd party game you want badly but shall never come..... why not pick up Final Fantasy Tactics  War Of The Lions and spend the next few months mesmerized with ways to create better classes with stronger magical attacks that shoot down from the sky in a cornucopia of colors.

The Scary Future Of Virtual Reality In Gaming

  If some people think now that video games can be overwhelming to certain people who take them far more seriously than they probably should just imagine the future of video games once this now tweaked technology is unleashed upon the masses. I love video games and probably play them more than I really should, however, I know others who go way beyond even that into the realm of video game addiction. Video game addiction is very real and I personally know a person who needed to get professional psychological help for such an addiction. There are actual cases where gamers have actually died playing video games for super long periods of time because their bodies shut down from total lack of sleep, food and water. There are even other cases where peoples kids have been neglected and some of these children even died from malnourishment while their parents/parent played marathon video game sessions.
  These sort of things do not happen all that often, however, there are fears that once highly advanced  virtual reality headsets like the soon to be released occulus rift hit store shelves that these rare and somewhat isolated instances of neglect whether to ones self or their children will spike. Not only is occulus rift in development and acquired by Facebook for use on their already addictive Facebook platform, but; Sony has a similar devise in development for use with the playstation 4 video game console and the project is well enough advanced to give people hands on experiences with this new technology.
 Just imagine how many 'not so happy with their lives individuals' shall become snagged in a world where one would have to really struggle to identify true reality. This new technology is destined to become the new age getaway for those who are not happy with their lives, reality, family or just simply looking for the thrills they cannot achieve in the real world. Sure, the idea is great and I cannot wait to purchase my first pair, however, at the same time, I wonder and to be honest, worry that this may lead to a worsening problem with health and obesity in which America is already struggling with. There is a real problem with obesity, heart disease, diabetes, ect here in the States and its really hard for any true realist not to see how this will turn out in the end. I only hope that this newly advanced technology can add to our general fun and not effect us in a negative manner. Sure, there are those who could benefit greatly from this technology such as people who suffer from paralysis or injury which effects  their ability to move around or get outside allot. This is just one of those things in which we must wait and see how it all plays out. In the meantime I'm going to hop back on my console for some Diablo3.

Persona Q : Shadow Of The Labyrinth / 3DS

 Persona 4 Golden for the Playstation Vita was one of the best video games I have ever played if not the very best. It was the reason I purchased a PS Vita in the first place and after dropping 80+ hours into this masterpiece I was satisfied with my expensive purchases. Persona 4 Golden remains one of the highest rated video games of all time and received stellar reviews from all who set hand to the game. The only problem was (for most) that Persona 4 Golden was ONLY for the Playstation Vita. 

 Persona Q for the 3DS is slated for release in Japan on June 5, 2014 and will get localized for U.S release in the Fall 2014 which is very soon. There is also a Persona Q : Shadow Of The Labyrinth  3DS bundle announced which includes a rather nicely decorated 3DS system and CD soundtrack. If you have never played the Persona series before either on Playstation Vita or 3DS, I highly recommend that you do , and if you have a Vita, and still have not played Persona 4 Golden...... then shame on you.

Mario Cart 8 Sells 1.2 Million First Weekend

 

 In a huge weekend much needed by Nintendo and its (ex)failing console  the Wii-U, Mario Cart 8 has exploded over the weekend selling over 1.2 million copies over the first weekend alone. Additionally, the game has shot the sales of Nintendo's Wii-U console to over 666% , a huge increase is sales. Mario Cart 8 has been giving stellar reviews with some of the biggest names calling the game the highly coveted "Masterpiece".

 The Wii-U started out with less than ideal sales numbers and hasn't recovered very much since its launch. Now, with big game sites and reviewers calling the game "the first true next gen Wii-U game, the Wii-U is set up for a great E3 where Nintendo has recently stated is going to be where they announce more next-gen titles for the Wii-U. With 14 Nintendo Wii-U games rated above 85+ on Metacritic , there is no doubt that Nintendo is publishing great, polished games for the Wii-U and with the announcements at E3 plus the huge sales of Mario Cart 8 ...... looks like the Nintendo Wii-U can actually climb out of the slump its been in and start competing with the other next-gen consoles as it should.

E3 2014 / The Huge Games List

                  
          

 E3 204 is a huge event this year now that the next generation of consoles has been released. A lot of developers have already made big announcements prior to the E3 showing probably to allow the hype to build up to the actual showing. Lets take a look at some of the biggest games confirmed and/or expected to be announced/shown at E3 2014 on June 10-12, 2014.

1. Halo 5 : Guardians

2. Call Of Duty : Advanced Warfare

3.  The Legend Of Zelda Wii-U

4. Assassins Creed Unity

5. Dishonored 2

6. The Witcher 3 : Wild Hunt

7. Tom Clancy's : The Division

8. Metal Gear Solid V : The Phantom Pain

9. Borderlands : The Pre-Sequel

10. Batman Arkham Knight

11. Destiny

12. Alien : Isolation

13. Dragon Age : Inquisition

14. Star Wars : Battlefront

15. Super Smash Bros. 3DS/Wii-U

16. Battlefield 5

17. Far Cry 4

18. Persona 5

19. Mass Effect 4

20. The order : 1886

21. Kingdom Hearts 3

22. Resident Evil 7

 Now that is one fine looking list. Its beginning to look as though 2014 is going to be one of the greatest years in gaming we have seen for a very long time.                                                                                       

Please Stop Making Assassin's Creed Every Year

WARNING : This blog entry contains the ravings of a man who despises Assassin Creed games. All hatred towards the franchise is only of the author himself and his own personal opinions. If you don't like these opinions then please create your own blog and share your own idea's.




 Please Stop Making Assassins Creed Games Every Year.




 I will just be honest here because that is what this blog is about anyway.... independent thinking and views. I am not a fan of the Assassins Creed franchise, as a matter of fact, I hate these games with all of my being. I picked up and played the first Assassins Creed and enjoyed the experience so you cannot just argue that I am a hater. I must admit, it was hardly the best game I ever played nor was it even the most creative, yet, it was good enough to pass the time.
 The first Assassins Creed was a huge hit with gamers and sold a lot of units to say the very least. It was obvious that a new franchise was born with new releases regularly. You see, this is where things go astray. Video game developers, wanting to milk the fans and franchise itself of everything they are worth, decide that popular video game franchises should have "yearly releases" for some reason. It is at this very point when the decision to make a "yearly release" of a franchise that the before mentioned franchise becomes defiled.
 Any good triple A video game developer (or any developer) knows that it takes more than a year to create a solid, polished and lengthy video game. All this yearly franchise model crap does is create an atmosphere of desperation with impossible time schedules and over working of the creative staff which in turn destroys their motivation to create something special instead being forced to create something which meets the giving time frame. All of this adds up eventually to a video game franchise that slowly over the years becomes less, and less of the great game it used to be and more of the game it has had to adapt to be to meet demands of big corporations and their charts.
 Every yearly franchise tries to have their next franchise installment around Christmas so that all the little kid fans will bother their parents and ask for the latest rushed copy of their beloved video game franchise, thus ; ultimately selling more copies. The next step of the franchise defilement process begins when the developers run out of idea's and with little time to deliberate begin to come up with horrible idea's in the hopes to keep the game fresh and not stale. With Assassins Creed this lack of fresh ideas and original content shows in the form of the game moving from one time period to the next, back and forth, so that Pirates (how original) can be thrown in the mix along with bland Revolutionary War setting ......... Revolutionary War? Are you serious? The subject that put almost everyone I ever knew slap asleep in history class as the subject of a triple A video game? Ok, I'm even more disgusted now that I'm banging this out on my keyboard rather violently.
 In the end ..... the original Assassins Creed was a good game. Making the game into a franchise was a great idea because that is what some fans want and I respect the opinions of other gamers and their games. The true problem lays in the fact that these franchises should spread themselves out over a period of every two to three years to assure a unrushed, original and fresh approach to the game franchise.  In my opinion ..... waiting a few years for a new installment is worth it when the game released has the full potential to be so much more polished and full of original top notch content. That's just my two cents.

Free-To-Play Detroying Games And It's Your Fault

 

 As you can plainly see by reading some of this blog...... I really hate free-to-play games. Why? The answer comes in many forms and the first one is an age old saying of wisdom which hold true today.... Nothing in life is free. Big corporations love the free-to-play model of video games because it makes tons of money.  For a solid example : Candy Crush (FTP) has made more money than all of Nintendo games ever made combined. So, why does free-to-play games net so much money? Simple, they play off of peoples (mostly young) delusions that just maybe they can win without paying. There are some games that offer some free-to-play elements not needed to win, however, this is also harmful as it conditions the public mind for the real trap that is all but consuming good old fashioned video games. You know, the ones you buy to own then play it all you want.
  The free-to-play video game model has been devastating for the everyday gamer who loves ...well, to play video games. We can point the finger all we want at the developers who make these FTP video games, however, its actually the consumers fault for dumping their money into these shams. Its the hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people who fell into the "free" trap only to spend 6 times as much on a single game as a regular $60 price tag. These FTP games are made to be addictive and hoards of people lined up to purchase this new video game crack. The sounds of gems clanking together with swirling colors had got the best of these people and at the ultimate price of the future of video games.
 The profit margins for successful free-to-play games are so huge that more and more developers are making more of them and dumping more research and development on making these games even more addictive and malicious. Even old fashioned regular games like Call Of Duty are starting to slowly implement free-to-play aspects to their games only to later unleash the FTP flood in which the only way you can win a match is if you invest $250 in the game. Soon, all games will be free-to-play or have some form of free-to-play elements in there, thus; ruining the video game business as we used to know it for the next generation of crazy eyed smart phone wielding zombies holding scratch off cards. All of this because YOU thought that you were clever enough to play a free-to-play game and win without paying. How did that work out for you?

Milestone : 1,000 Views / IVGN

 I would like to thank everyone who has helped this new blog gather more than 1,000 unique blog views in a week or less. This is the kind of support that keeps me writing, researching and doing what I love to do. Without your support in the comments and stats page I would lose my motivation to bring you entertainment news. I know my skill in writing video game news will grow with experience and I thank all of you for giving me that chance to gain the experience I need and that is why I will not use adds or other means to ruin your experience. If you like some of my work here please let me know in the comments and share these stories on your social media as the more I grow the better stories I can bring your way always add free. Thank you all again for our milestone of 1,000 blog hits and I look forward to seeing you in the comments. Also check out my other social media which will (and has been) be helping this blog move along.

Twitter
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                                                                          Independent Video Game News ( IVGN )
                                                                                                       J30-06K

Where Is A Solid New Metroid For Wii-U ?

 I remember when the Nintendo Game Cube wasn't doing so well back in the day but as soon as Metroid Prime was released on the Cube on November 17, 2002 I picked one up. Game developers Retro Studios really created something special with Metroid Prime on the Nintendo Game Cube. To this day Metroid Prime is still on of favorite games of all times. Back in 2002 this game was cutting edge with great graphics, masterful gameplay, deep and surprising story and on and on I could go.
 It boggles the mind really how Nintendo with their struggling Wii-U console has yet to release a new Metroid Prime game to the system. Don't get me wrong, I love Nintendo and own their consoles handheld and otherwise, yet, it just always feels like a long wait with them to release something. I understand this is mostly because of how much effort and time Nintendo (and their developers) puts in to their games which is why they are always so polished, but, come on Nintendo a new Metroid Prime can save Wii-U or at least pick sales way up.
 Imagine a new Metroid Prime in HD at 60 frames per second on the Wii-U ..... then imagine the possibilities of the touch screen controller on such a game. Now, if Nintendo were to release a new Metroid Prime on the Wii-U I would run right out and buy one today and while I'm there I might as well pick up Zelda Wind Waker HD, 3D Mario Land and Mario Cart 8. See, do you see Nintendo how much money you could make by releasing a game such as Metroid Prime? Hell, even make it a full HD remake with some extras and I'll still buy it and all the games above. Wow, really Nintendo you should call me because I can sell your Wii-U for you since you sure cannot do it.

Are Call Of Duty Players Real Gamers?

                                        

 In my experience of playing with and/or alongside other Call Of Duty players since the first online COD was released I found that almost all gamers who play COD almost never play anything else. Most hardcore Call Of Duty players only own COD games and spend all their time playing this single franchise. This leads us, of course, to the question of the day....... Are Call Of Duty players really gamers? The answer to that is a profound "NO". Now, I understand that this will make many a COD player mad at me and I can already see the disgust on their faces while they read this article, however, before you get high blood pressure allow me to explain in detail and defend my case.
 I'm a popular guy on PSN and have quite a few friends most of which play COD religiously. I have tried in vein to get some of my closest COD friends to buy or check out a great new game many times to no avail. Simply put, they will not purchase another game and even if they do after only 2 hours of playing it will put it away and get right back on Call Of Duty again. The only exception to this rule was GTA5 and even after its release everyone was right back on Call Of Duty soon thereafter. Mind blowing I know.
 Now, in my defense I will bring up Infinity Ward's Mark Rubin who in an interview with OXM LINK  said that

"The majority of people who play Call Of Duty games aren't really hardcore gamers or even gamers for that matter."    Mark Rubin Of Infinity Ward

 Wow, now that's some harsh words coming from somebody who actually brought you Call Of Duty. They even go farther with this buy saying in the same article as the link above :

"They aren't hardcore gamers, or even gamers, but they play Call Of Duty every night. And those guys are going to continue to play regardless of the platform. So I think not only will we continue to engage with that existing player base, but we'll take next gen and see how far we can go with it."

 What this guy who actually makes COD games is saying here is that no matter what they create or do these COD fans will buy the game regardless and mindlessly. I don't think most people understand  the depth of this here. For example..... there are a lot of COD fans who buy game consoles and expensive audio headsets just to play one game. In other words a Call Of Duty fan will buy a $420 PS4 along with the $60 copy of COD, $50 in Playstation plus( which is needed to play online) for a year and maybe even a $150 pair of gaming headsets all to ever only play a single game and nothing more. That's a grand total of around (on average) $680 just to play COD. That's a lot of money to drop to play a single game or even three really.
 In order to be called a true gamer or a so called hardcore gamer ..... one must be fluent in regards to most games and genres and spend equal time with different games including understanding the video game market and keeping up with video game news..... then you are a true hardcore gamer, otherwise, your just a another person who just spent $680.00 dollars to play a single game.

The Watch Dogs Independent Review

 For this review I'm not going to waste my time writing about how the story unfolds and everything else you can find in other reviews that have been out for days now. What I will write about however is the gameplay .... very simple. After reading other online reviews from the mainstream video game sites I became concerned that just maybe I had wasted $60 on a GTA5 clone with 20 hours of gameplay. Well I'm here to tell you that non of this is true whatsoever.
 Watch Dogs had around 2 years, since first being announced, for feelings to build up about what the game would be like and what was possible in game by those who have been anticipating the games release. There was (and still is) a lot of talk about Watch Dogs being a GTA5 clone. Watch Dogs should not be compared with GTA5, or any other GTA for that matter, simply because Watch Dogs is in most ways its own game with its own defined personality. Comparing all open world games with GTA5 all because, well, there open world games, is not fair for the genre as a whole.
 When I first jumped in the game I wasn't very exited at all for awhile until I started to get about 2 hours into the game. That is when I began to realize the huge scope and grand scheme of the game in its entirety. Admittedly, some aspects of the game such as phone hacking peoples bank accounts and checking into their past was somewhat stale after awhile, but, with so much other stuff to do these are very small gripes which only effect the gameplay in a very minute way if at all. The possibilities of hacking street lights, cameras and a plethora of other devises across the huge world map becomes infinite.
 While just walking around enjoying the view and maybe looking for some hidden objects random crimes would happen that would pop up on your handy smart phone. These were always different and can go in any of thousands possible ways all depending upon your own imagination and how you use your hacking skills and environment. Sick of chasing the bad guy? No problem .... hack the transformer and blow it up as the bad guy runs by sending his body flying like a rag doll in a horrible yet realistic way. Working on the campaign is equally as fun as free roaming and you can always take a break from the main story to finish side missions, find hidden object, collect cars, ect.
 It seams to me that those who complain about this game lack a certain amount of imagination the is seriously required to play and enjoy this game to its full potential. I suggest to those who had worked out in their minds what Watch Dogs "was going to be" for two years replay the game again with an open mind and how the "game is going to be" according to how Ubisoft had made it. A game that at first seems like a let down had turned out being a great game with huge potential all depending upon the player and I respect Ubisoft  for putting the ultimate power in the hands of those who play the game not create it. In the end, Watch Dogs is a huge game with tons to do and an almost endless amount of replay value. With a few updates in which Ubisoft is going to release over the course of the next few months Watch Dogs will even grow better. For those who have decided to purchase this game..... just remember, Watch Dogs treats you just like you treat it. If you approach the game with little imagination you will not enjoy the game or find it "good". If you go in with an open mind with the understanding that this game can go any way you want it to .... then you'll love it like I do.

Verdict :  9/10

The Slow Death Of Triple A Video Games

 If you think that the endless flow of indie game titles keep coming at us randomly then you need to be better informed on the present gaming model. The real reason why gamers are getting hit by endless streams of indie games is because triple A video games are now fast becoming obsolete. Don't get me wrong, I love indie games and think they are great, however, there true intention is to replace expensive triple A games for much cheaper alternatives. Making a triple A title is almost like building a warship or going to outers pace, no seriously, that's how much money and man power goes into these projects.
 To put this thing in perspective .... in order for a triple A video game to make money it has to sell millions of copies and even then the profits can be small in comparison to the work and time invested in such a project. For instance, lets say for sake of argument that a triple A video game cost 30 million dollars to produce. Without going into the complicated math (this can be verified on other sites) even if the 30 million dollar game sells 3 million copies , after costs , that game has probably made 40 million dollars. Yes, that right, a game that costs 30 million to make, if it sells well ( 3M ) will only make 10 million dollars more than what it cost in the first place.
 More and more we are hearing complaints from big developers who produce triple A titles that its almost impossible to make money. Short of getting lucky and hitting the jackpot with consumers buying up the game and becoming a hit with very good reviews its a complete waist of money. These are the reasons that we will see a huge decline in triple A titles and more mid level games and indie's. Developers are now begging to realize that by simply creating great content sells and it does not have to cost 30 million dollars to do so.
 This can all be a great thing for the future of gaming in my own personal opinion considering that most triple A games are more focused on size and graphics than actual fun and innovative game-play in which consumers want. Gamers are sick of paying $60 for triple A games that can be beat in 8 to 15 hours ( with few exceptions ) and mostly consist of the same old shoot 'em up content. Recently, we have been seeing very successful games by small developers who can make huge profits as the cost of development is down while the quality of the game itself is high. The moral of the story is that
triple A titles will still be made by those who like to gamble, however, they will be few and far between.

Microsoft Still Feeling The preasure To Sell Xbox

 Microsoft again found itself on the defense about selling off its gaming division in the face of worried investors. Don't believe me? Just Google it yourself and you will be rather surprised about how much speculation there really is and the amount of valid concern. Some of the most painful articles in regards to Microsoft's Xbox1 ( gaming division ) comes strait from the big dog Forbes in an article titled " The Three Ways Forward For Microsoft And The Xbox One " and I can assure you that all three options described therein are not at all what Microsoft wants to face.
 For a long time now Microsoft big wigs (investors) who hold major stock and bond holdings in the corporation have been pushing Microsoft to simply sell off its unprofitable gaming division and focus more on software in which the company was founded to do. It seems as though those very investors became rather uncomfortable with the poor performance of Windows 8 not to mention the gaming division losing millions and millions of dollars to boot.
 News just recently got worse for Microsoft after Sony proudly announced that the PS4 has sold 8 million consoles (not shipped) to consumers , while Microsoft refusing to publish actual sales of the Xbox1. Come to find out Microsoft had "shipped" 5 million consoles ton stores with no telling how many of those were actually sold to consumers like Sony's numbers. Now, in the Forbs article about "three ways forward" one of those proposed "ways" have already been implemented that being to cut the Kinect nobody ever wanted. The second option is so horrible even seasoned Xbox fans will get week in the knees when they read the proposed solution which is ....... cut the disk drive. Ouch. Now its down to the very last option which is non other than to cut the price just to somewhat compete with the runaway success of Playstation 4.
 In my opinion Microsoft can implement all the options they see fit to no avail. Its simply too late now that PS4 and Sony's master publicity stroke has mesmerized the masses. While Microsoft was busy announcing the Xbox1 and assaulting their fans with always online-DRM, forced Kinect and countless other unwanted policies akin to bullying..... Sony was telling and giving the gaming community what they wanted. Is the Xbox1 going to go away in the immediate future? Of course not. Sooner or later though Microsoft is going to run out of money to keep flushing down the toilet.

Watch Dogs Released / Review's

 Reminder : Today is the long anticipated 27th of May 2014 ..... the launch date for Watch Dogs.

  I'm going to pick up my pre-order copy right now so my review of the game itself will not be up until Thursday. Until then however, I can say that other reviewers are giving this game a average of 8 out of 10. Polygon has scored the game an 8 as well as gamespot and destructoid. Also important to note is that Forbes had some very harsh things to say about Watch Dogs which makes me wonder if I didn't just waste two years waiting for this game to release. I will quote from the Forbes review here "Like GTA5 before it, sometimes it's not enough to simply be big and well made. Watch Dogs feels like a collection of promising concepts with nothing solid holding them together" and also quoted from Forbes " The characters are so uninteresting they're almost unsalvageable, and though gameplay is polished to a mirror shine, it just doesn't do enough to stand out in the genre" end quote.
 So in other words basically everyone is giving this game a score of 8 out of 10 the only reason being for the 8 instead of the 6 is because its "polished". Sounds like they keep making excuses for a bad game because the people who invested in this game via stock bond holders don't want to loose any money. While we are just being brutally honest here ..... they even had an extra 6 months when they delayed the game as to make it better. With a delay of 6 months to make the game better and still end up with a bland story and characters is a huge let down and the 8 out of 10 "I feel sorry for you but its polished" reviews says it all.

How To Make A Living With Video Games.

 Making a living doing what you love to do is one of the hardest things to accomplish in life. Some people today find it hard to simply find a job that they hate to do. Lets juts jump right in here shall we? There are only a few ways to make a living with video games and all of them are complicated processes except one which I will focus on here after a brief description of the less viable options. These less viable options include working your way through ladders and competitive tournaments which mean you have to be exceptional at the games you play and lucky at the same time. If one is successful in this area money flows in as awards won, prizes which can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars and sponsorships. The problem with this competitive option is that your chances of success here are astronomical to say the very least.
 Another less viable way to make a living with video games is on social media which as it turns out is just as hard as doing it the competitive way. Why is it so hard you ask? Well, the answer is very simple........ there are millions of other youtube and twitter channels all dedicated to gaming which have been well established for a very long time. What makes your content good enough that people cease to support their favorite social persona's for you? Most people who want to see the latest in gaming or a new review will simply go to IGN. To put it plainly ..... your material, however great, is like a speck of sand on an entire beach. Your odds of being found amongst the countless millions and being lifted into social stardom is the mathematical equivalent of being struck by lightning twice in a single night without any rain clouds in the sky.
 So now the big question ..... So how can one actually make a living with video games? The answer to this question is also rather simple : You commentate as a professional (or seem like a professional) on what the competitive players are doing by covering their competitions , careers , tourneys, ect. Now, this can be done very cleverly as to make yourself become an authority on E-Sports in the process of making a name for yourself. You cannot choose a single E-Sports player or seem as if your a stalker. You need to cover their competitions with an air of authority by pointing out their mistakes, what they could have done better and almost coach into your video if Youtube is your media which I shall assume it is. If you do some research into the rules and regulations, follow up on the news and big stories happening in E-Sports you will, in a short period of time, build a reputation as a solid commentator on what people want to see most and, most importantly, an authority on the subject. Instead of being the actual pro-gamer out in the competition you stream the comp live and commentate with authority about the athletes actions as if you know more about it than they do. In this manner, you can add legit meta-tags into your video's , streams, websites and/or blogs, twitter ect, thus: bringing in the viewership you need to succeed and most likely being asked and/or employed by an entity which represents E-Sports or even E-Sports themselves.
 To pull off something like the above tutorial you will need to be highly motivated, smooth talking and most importantly ..... very clever. Its just a matter of doing some research, watching and studying other E-Sports commentators and becoming your own unique personality and using it with the flair of authority which is also very important. Nobody wants to hear someone talking( or blabbing) like they are scared or nervous. People want to hear someone who sounds like he or she knows exactly what they are talking about in a firm yet professional voice with solid opinions and advise or critique. Youtube is filled with commentators who talk over their own gameplays trying to make it big. This is their first mistake as their gameplays, no matter how good, are not pro and there are verily millions of other skilled players doing the same thing. If you want to make a living in video games do not fall for the proverbial " I deserve this because I'm the best player" or " My material is better than all the countless millions of others doing the same exact thing as me". Think outside the box, that is what makes money in anything you decide to do and E-Sports and video games are no exception.

Will Facebook Compete With PS4 And Xbox1 ?

 Now that social media titan Facebook has acquired Oculus Rift virtual reality for 2 billion dollars a discussion needs to be had about what they plan on doing with this technology. 2 billion dollars is a vast amount of money and therefore a giant corporation such as Facebook must have surly had plans before the purchase of Oculus.
 Sure, we can all imagine millions of people sitting around their houses meeting people and talking to their friends as if they were standing right there in full HD virtual reality. The implications of such can go far beyond that of friends meeting over the Facebook Oculus. We are talking about full blown business meetings, house shopping, looking at a potential cars to buy, going on a vacation to the Bahamas just to name a few of the seemingly endless possibilities.
 Beyond the obvious such as those stated above imagine next Facebook going head to head with gaming consoles and verily P.C's. We all know that Facebook has had video games that you can play with your friends but just imagine if Facebook rolled out a whole new type of gaming business. After all they did dish out 2 billion dollars and I'm sure they want to bleed every red cent out of the Oculus. The move in my opinion was genius..... imagine if Facebook had not purchased Oculus. Without Oculus Facebook itself would have become obsolete within a year or two at most. Friends hanging out on Oculus in video game worlds and/or chat rooms would have put a swift end to the golden era of Facebook social media in a single swipe.
 Facebook did not "want" to buy Oculus they had no choice but to purchase Oculus to secure their own future and with a device like that 2 billion I am sure can be doubled rather fast. The future of social media is ever changing and this landmark deal proves as much. There are changes coming to the way people interact online whether on social networks, at work or gaming and I think Facebook just won the grand chess game of social media.

Free To Play Model Destroying Video Games

  Everyday gamers are beginning to see more and more games that are so-called "free to play". These games represent the inevitable decline of the gaming culture as a whole. What started out as an experiment to see if some extra money could be made on the side for extra content morphed into a complete nightmare for every gamer. Now, the so-called "free to play" model is fast becoming the standard for more and more games usually the more addictive sort for obvious reasons. The allure of games that are "free" ensnare gamers into actually spending more money than they would if they just purchased a game at full price.
 I would much rather purchase a game that I am interested in at the $60 price tag for a triple A title than get a "free" game which can ultimately cost anywhere from a hundred dollars to thousands of dollars just to win or progress at a decent speed without having to wait for days just to move forward in your progress. This new "free to win" method is nothing more than a con game that banks off of games which the developers and verily their stockholders know are very addictive for maximal effect on the gamers wallet.
  Even worse is the discovery that these "free to play" games are trying to target young children with names like candy----- ect. in the hopes that these children can talk, or rather, beg and cry enough to their parents to have them kick out their credit cards as to pay for their children's expensive new hobbies. This is what developers are now calling the future of gaming (in reference to free to play) and are working on more and more clever ways to implement the most effective money sucking methods imaginable just so that one can progress in an addictive new game.
  Don't get me wrong here ..... I see nothing wrong with developers trying new methods, however, these same methods are becoming more seriously alarming. Instead, I suggest that these developers raise the price of games slightly for a better profit and just leave the free to play model behind. Trust me it would be much better than the rapidly approaching alternatives. Not only are free to play games deceptive with their hidden costs and addictive gameplay, but, at the same time creating great damage to the video game industry and compromising the quality of new games altogether.

                                                                                                           J30-06K


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Call Of Duty The End Of A Era.

 When the first online multiplayer Call Of Duty 4 Modern Warfare was released on November 5, 2007(North America) gaming was changed at that very instant. Who can forget the feeling of overwhelming fun while playing with your friends online to see who could get the most kills or simply win against your opponents? The solid gameplay, great maps and mesmerizing background music (MW still has the best music) sucked gamers in from all over the world and created something of a digital subculture.
 By the time Call Of Duty World At War was released on November 11, 2008(North America)millions of gamers were flocking to stores trying to get their hands on a copy at midnight or even trying to get a copy before the official release date for an advantage over others. A new Era had begun .... one which would dominate first person shooters for the next 6 years.  Those who played the game well and placed high on the old traditional leaderboards were met with fame from the Call Of Duty community and some even became rather wealthy. It was the all American youthful dream..... to become a pro or semi pro COD player and make money doing what you loved to do.
  Around this time (2008-2009) Youtube began to explode with countless channels filled with fresh and original Call Of Duty gameplays and/or commentaries, which in turn , led to many Youtube partnerships, money and online fame. This success went on for years with Call Of Duty video's getting countless views  and copies of the games flying out of the stores faster than they could keep them stocked. These were in fact the "golden years" for Call Of Duty and verily the gamers who played them. Like all "golden years" in history they always come to an end sooner or later and COD is no different.
 The Call Of Duty franchise began to make drastic changes to their successful formula starting in 2011 with the release of Call Of Duty Black Ops on November 9th of that same year. COD Black Ops was a huge success selling millions of copies world wide and shooting Call Of Duty into superstar status. However, something strange began to happen after the release of COD Black Ops 2 on November 13, 2012. Gamers began to slowly realize that the COD brand was somehow becoming stale and repetitive. Youtube began to fill up with so many channels dedicated to Call Of Duty gameplays and/or commentaries that the system was flooded with content making it impossible to compete because to compete with millions of other channels uploading the same material is like a needle being found in a haystack.
 Then on November 5, 2013 the death blow came about with the release of Call Of Duty Ghosts. Ghosts was not received well at all outside the hardest of core COD fans and received bad reviews from all angles. Old Call Of Duty players who have been stomping on COD since COD4 or WAW found themselves trading in their copies of Ghosts for other games or simply quitting gaming altogether ( Most hardcore COD fans only play COD). Youtube gaming channels began to sit there dormant and inactive. There is no denying the facts and even the developers admit that the series has become rather stale with yearly new releases and few new upgrades to boot. The developers began to complain that a single year was hardly enough time to create a top tier COD game and it was beginning to show in Ghosts.
 Now its 2014 and there is already talk and video previews of the next Call Of Duty "Advanced Warfare" ( sounds familiar doesn't it? MW3 anybody?) and they are obviously trying to spice things up a little bit. Apparently, Sledgehammer Games who have been working on this next installment seem to think that making COD even more futuristic is the answer when this is what the problem has been with the franchise since Ghosts. In one last desperate attempt to regain their dominance in the field of online multiplayer first person shooters they have created what looks like from the previews a rather far flung futuristic Titanfall concept. We can notice, if we look close enough, soldiers scaling walls like spiderman and deploying gadgets from the Halo series. It was bad enough that COD Ghosts had included a shootout in outer space and now they want to incorporate Mass Effect and Halo into the next COD. I'm sorry, but I must say now that this approach just is not going to change the current downhill path of Call Of Duty, rather, it will lead to its decline even faster.

                                                                                                        J30-06K

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Why You Should Keep Your Ps3 Console

 Even in the wake of a great and well deserved (after 8 years) launch of next generation consoles you will not find me at Gamestop trading in my Playstation 3 any time soon. Sure, its wonderful having the new shiny consoles to play on and experiment with, however, there are a few things in which these next generation gaming machines cannot offer us (me) at this time. What can that possibly be you ask? The answer to that question is rather simple....... All my games in which I have acquired over the many long years of the generation past. Not just games really but really good games. Games that are hard to come by and still expensive like all my top tier Playstation one classics like Final Fantasy, Chrono Trigger, resident evil and Harvest Moon just to name a few. Then there are the Ps2 classics like Persona and countless others. Thousands of hours invested into some of the best games ever created some of which to this day remain unfinished. Countless newer games of all different kinds of genres still begging to be played or some elusive trophy earned.
 Bottom line is .... even though I shall enjoy next gen as much as the next person , I will keep intact my vast collection of digital and/or hard copies of timeless masterpieces (and some crap of course) all massed together on one working console. No matter how many next gen pixels pound upon my retina's or advanced AI destroyes my avatar ....... I will always find myself crawling back to those great games that I and many others love. The moral of the story then is the one important question ...... Is it really true next gen hardware if its not backward compatible? I mean come on Sony and Microsoft its 2014 make your consoles to fit the needs of us gamers instead of your pockets.