Thursday, January 26, 2012
Sunday, January 1, 2012
2012 Gadgets
PS Vita
This is the must have - A quad core portable with true dedicated gaming controls plus intuitive touch controls.
PROS
Uncharted looks AMAZING
Sony Hardware
$250 launch price
OLED multi-touch capacitive touchscreen
CONS
ANOTHER proprietary (expensive) memory card format
Knowing there will be a slim version with better battery life within 1.5 years
iPad 3
Didn't think I would ever need a tablet and I really don't "need" one - but the use case for me that is appealing is a true HD iOS experience. I always thought that if the iPad was released before the iPhone the hype for the iPhone would be even more rampant - its like a mini-iPad! It's similar to the hype around the black razr, only because that color came out after the silver razr - if the black razr came out first the hype would have been for the silver razr. When the iPad was initially released, I just thought of it as a big iPhone with a better battery. Now, more and more developers are releasing dedicated iPad apps and calling it ScoreCenter HD for example, but the iPad and iPad 2 are not "HD" screens - the iPad 3 is rumored to be Retina (same pixel density as the iPhone4/4S?). A FaceTime HD camera plus a Retina Display screen will definitely sway me if the price is right. Typical use case being a couch/bed device or a 3-5 day traveling gadget where the MBA is not needed. And with the battery life of the Vita (combined with the expensive memory cards), I will probably watch most of my video content on the go with this device. PRAYING for expandable storage, and HDMI out.
PROS
Retina Display?
Battery
iOS
CONS
Price - this thing might be higher than $499
Probably NO expandable storage (not an issue for most - but I would like to store 1080p uncompressed video on this thing)
2013?
New Desktop PC
My Alienware is due for a refresh (its an XP machine) - the video card is on its last legs and probably the hard drive as well. I need a machine with optical drives (copying/burning DVDs, Blu-Rays, and CD's). I will probably hold out until Windows 8.
New HDTV
Hopefully CES will bring prices down and 4K becomes viable by this time next year (I doubt it), my 50" SXRD is still performing better than most 1080p sets out now. I am also hoping there is more 3D content other than Blu-Rays, and video games - it would be ideal if my satellite provider (Dish Network) carried ESPN3D. I am guessing that it won't be until 4th quarter 2013 (probably where we will start to see 4K as the next "selling feature") that I change out the SXRD (unless it dies on me).
This is the must have - A quad core portable with true dedicated gaming controls plus intuitive touch controls.
PROS
Uncharted looks AMAZING
Sony Hardware
$250 launch price
OLED multi-touch capacitive touchscreen
CONS
ANOTHER proprietary (expensive) memory card format
Knowing there will be a slim version with better battery life within 1.5 years
iPad 3
Didn't think I would ever need a tablet and I really don't "need" one - but the use case for me that is appealing is a true HD iOS experience. I always thought that if the iPad was released before the iPhone the hype for the iPhone would be even more rampant - its like a mini-iPad! It's similar to the hype around the black razr, only because that color came out after the silver razr - if the black razr came out first the hype would have been for the silver razr. When the iPad was initially released, I just thought of it as a big iPhone with a better battery. Now, more and more developers are releasing dedicated iPad apps and calling it ScoreCenter HD for example, but the iPad and iPad 2 are not "HD" screens - the iPad 3 is rumored to be Retina (same pixel density as the iPhone4/4S?). A FaceTime HD camera plus a Retina Display screen will definitely sway me if the price is right. Typical use case being a couch/bed device or a 3-5 day traveling gadget where the MBA is not needed. And with the battery life of the Vita (combined with the expensive memory cards), I will probably watch most of my video content on the go with this device. PRAYING for expandable storage, and HDMI out.
PROS
Retina Display?
Battery
iOS
CONS
Price - this thing might be higher than $499
Probably NO expandable storage (not an issue for most - but I would like to store 1080p uncompressed video on this thing)
2013?
New Desktop PC
My Alienware is due for a refresh (its an XP machine) - the video card is on its last legs and probably the hard drive as well. I need a machine with optical drives (copying/burning DVDs, Blu-Rays, and CD's). I will probably hold out until Windows 8.
New HDTV
Hopefully CES will bring prices down and 4K becomes viable by this time next year (I doubt it), my 50" SXRD is still performing better than most 1080p sets out now. I am also hoping there is more 3D content other than Blu-Rays, and video games - it would be ideal if my satellite provider (Dish Network) carried ESPN3D. I am guessing that it won't be until 4th quarter 2013 (probably where we will start to see 4K as the next "selling feature") that I change out the SXRD (unless it dies on me).
Monday, October 31, 2011
FIFA's dominance
FIFA is pulling CRAZY numbers yet again, which is no surprise. Madden gets more play and fanfare here in the States but FIFA's worldwide numbers makes Madden's gargantuan sales figures shrink in comparison - the true franchise darling in EA Sports' catalog is FIFA - and they know this…
But there is more than one way to look and evaluate dominance.
Madden is the de-facto football title after out-muscling and out-buying their competitors - mainly the 2K series, but also from Sony's NFL Gameday in the PlayStation (psOne) days. Madden was arguably the better football game anyway, the NFL giving EA Sports' Madden series official licensed exclusivity basically killed the competition. 2K valiantly tried an NFL legends/hall of fame type sim with famous ex-players but they were too far out the picture, having bowed out seasons ago…Madden was already established as the only option, it was too little too late.
It SEEMS the same scenario is playing out in another sport more appropriately named football - the REAL football.
Seems being the imperative word - unlike the situation with EA VS 2K the battle between EA and Konami is more fascinating.
Unlike 2K, Konami is not known as a "sports" studio
Unlike 2K, Konami NEVER had the benefit of official licenses from all teams and leagues.
Konami is responsible for Pro Evolution Soccer - a title that dominated during the PS2 era, unlike 2K - PES wasn't the "sleeper" or "alternate" it was THE footy game to play.
----------------------
However, now we are in the PS3/360 era and the situation has changed - EA has been able to put more resources into their title and it's graphics and presentation show up a stagnant PES franchise, but the biggest leap is a component that has become essential this console generation - online.
Yet, PES is still out there…still without licensing, still backed by a traditional non-sports studio in Konami and even with FIFA pulling out record worldwide sales they still put out a title in a year where Konami HQ in Japan was ravaged by an earthquake. Sure, a worldwide sport is going to garner more support than an NFL game (which will only thrive in the States) but Konami is doing something 2K wished they could have done and they are closing the gap once again.
Kotaku recently compared the most recent version of these 2 footy titles and their critique of PES was harsh, to be fair there was a lot of criticisms levied on EA's FIFA as well (in an overall kind of "bleak" piece on the current state of footy games) but almost EVERY other respectable publication review had PES closing the gap, equal to, or getting very close to FIFA - with critics praising its gameplay and AI.
Owning both titles, I can confidently say that PES is king in gameplay - FIFA feels too "floaty" to me STILL, something they have never been able to fix but what a lot of users have become accustomed too - it's like you are playing hockey instead of futbol. In PES - Messi feels like Messi, Gerrard feels like Gerrard, Fabregas passes like Fabregas…can't say the same with FIFA. FIFA still bosses in animation/presentation, but their supposed dominance is looking more and more in question…ProEvo will eventually get online right…right?
But there is more than one way to look and evaluate dominance.
Madden is the de-facto football title after out-muscling and out-buying their competitors - mainly the 2K series, but also from Sony's NFL Gameday in the PlayStation (psOne) days. Madden was arguably the better football game anyway, the NFL giving EA Sports' Madden series official licensed exclusivity basically killed the competition. 2K valiantly tried an NFL legends/hall of fame type sim with famous ex-players but they were too far out the picture, having bowed out seasons ago…Madden was already established as the only option, it was too little too late.
It SEEMS the same scenario is playing out in another sport more appropriately named football - the REAL football.
Seems being the imperative word - unlike the situation with EA VS 2K the battle between EA and Konami is more fascinating.
Unlike 2K, Konami is not known as a "sports" studio
Unlike 2K, Konami NEVER had the benefit of official licenses from all teams and leagues.
Konami is responsible for Pro Evolution Soccer - a title that dominated during the PS2 era, unlike 2K - PES wasn't the "sleeper" or "alternate" it was THE footy game to play.
----------------------
However, now we are in the PS3/360 era and the situation has changed - EA has been able to put more resources into their title and it's graphics and presentation show up a stagnant PES franchise, but the biggest leap is a component that has become essential this console generation - online.
Yet, PES is still out there…still without licensing, still backed by a traditional non-sports studio in Konami and even with FIFA pulling out record worldwide sales they still put out a title in a year where Konami HQ in Japan was ravaged by an earthquake. Sure, a worldwide sport is going to garner more support than an NFL game (which will only thrive in the States) but Konami is doing something 2K wished they could have done and they are closing the gap once again.
Kotaku recently compared the most recent version of these 2 footy titles and their critique of PES was harsh, to be fair there was a lot of criticisms levied on EA's FIFA as well (in an overall kind of "bleak" piece on the current state of footy games) but almost EVERY other respectable publication review had PES closing the gap, equal to, or getting very close to FIFA - with critics praising its gameplay and AI.
Owning both titles, I can confidently say that PES is king in gameplay - FIFA feels too "floaty" to me STILL, something they have never been able to fix but what a lot of users have become accustomed too - it's like you are playing hockey instead of futbol. In PES - Messi feels like Messi, Gerrard feels like Gerrard, Fabregas passes like Fabregas…can't say the same with FIFA. FIFA still bosses in animation/presentation, but their supposed dominance is looking more and more in question…ProEvo will eventually get online right…right?
Monday, September 5, 2011
September Onslaught
Sorry for the delay on the August Post…I had to budget time and money for the plethora of titles that come out this month:
Resistance 3 (PS3)
Child of Eden (PS3)
Gears of War 3 (360)
FIFA 12 (PS3)
PES 12 (PS3)
Plus Star Wars and Scarface come out on Blu-Ray this month!
I will do a shooter post this month (Sep) on Resistance and Gears and a very comprehensive footy post in October comparing FIFA and ProEvo.
Resistance 3 (PS3)
Child of Eden (PS3)
Gears of War 3 (360)
FIFA 12 (PS3)
PES 12 (PS3)
Plus Star Wars and Scarface come out on Blu-Ray this month!
I will do a shooter post this month (Sep) on Resistance and Gears and a very comprehensive footy post in October comparing FIFA and ProEvo.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Nintendo's Handheld Reign
It's kind of fascinating that the Gameboy/DS handheld has dominated the market for so long…Game Gear was a better machine than the GameBoy and the PSP was a better machine than the DS - but Nintendo had the games. However, Nintendo's latest handheld is floundering instead of thriving and its yet to face its fiercest competition.
Nintendo was able to thwart the most recent attempt by Sony to recapture the mobile market - the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is the other handheld to announce a price drop this month, along with the 3DS. In a way, the Xperia Play's demise is a good thing for Sony, if the mobile handset gained momentum it would have thwarted the hype of Vita.
Vita is what everybody is anticipating, Sony's second shot (3rd, if you count the Xperia Play) at getting the handheld gaming market…but the landscape is different - the games that were once King on the Nintendo platform (Mario, Zelda, Metroid) have become simpler and more accessible - Angry Birds is the real competition. Sony's handheld will probably address this new market by offering a PSN style game store, but will people drop their iPhones and Androids to carry another device?
Nintendo was able to thwart the most recent attempt by Sony to recapture the mobile market - the Sony Ericsson Xperia Play is the other handheld to announce a price drop this month, along with the 3DS. In a way, the Xperia Play's demise is a good thing for Sony, if the mobile handset gained momentum it would have thwarted the hype of Vita.
Vita is what everybody is anticipating, Sony's second shot (3rd, if you count the Xperia Play) at getting the handheld gaming market…but the landscape is different - the games that were once King on the Nintendo platform (Mario, Zelda, Metroid) have become simpler and more accessible - Angry Birds is the real competition. Sony's handheld will probably address this new market by offering a PSN style game store, but will people drop their iPhones and Androids to carry another device?
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
NBA extends multi-year licensing with 2K AND EA?
Its kind of hard to understand why Madden is the ONLY officially NFL licensed video game, especially now. EA Sports will not release a simulation NBA game again this year, so once again the 2k series will be the de facto game. Madden had competitors before they went and Godfather offered the NFL for exclusivity. The least the NFL could do is extend their license to at least one other company to make an arcade/Blitz version of an NFL game a la EA's only NBA effort - NBA Jam. What if 2K Sports went to the NBA and Godfather offered them with the monopoly they have had the past two years? Its easy to say competition produces a better product; but with EA not used to competition for its NFL franchise it has decided to totally withdraw its efforts against the NBA 2K series - looks like EA can't handle competition.
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