Kage_88

Wow, that sucks.

As a contributor to a couple of websites myself, I know how hard it is to keep the momentum going, especially in today's bloated internet age.

Thanks guys, for all your hard work. I don't visit any of the big gaming sites anymore (having seen how seedy and unprofessional they really are), so I'll always respect your simple, clean and unbiased reporting style. Hopefully one day I'll see you all again in some form or another!

My Xbox One literally died just the other day, so I may have to consider getting this...

Prey Ending Spoilers

It was revealed there was a galactic civilisation that chose Tommy as their new... warrior? Hero? Either way, I hope they connect Wu's story to it somehow, and not ditch the supernatural elements (ghosts + aliens? I'd play that).

Awesome! Prey was one of my favourite games last gen - I always thought it was massively underrated.

Coming from someone who isn't a big fan of the series, this negative reaction is another hilarious indicator of the childish mentality of most 'gamers' today.

I'm not saying the game and the way it's being handled isn't lame... but Jesus, I'm sure there are a lot of other YouTube videos out there that are far more qualified to be the fifth most hated of all time. There's a lot of crap out there...

The signs are getting clearer and clearer in regards to Microsoft's 'Windowsisation' (TM) of its gaming brand. I said before that Xbox would be moving toward the Steam Machine route - and shock horror - I was right. That's not to say that such a move implies any sort of defeat - in fact, I think merging Xbox One with PC is a very smart move, and unlike a lot of whiners, I think sharing a library between the two platforms is great.

Also, this particular item of news - like Ken said - is really a non-story. Restructuring happens all the time in the corporate world. It's just that with this happening so close to the Lionhead thing, people will (of course) jump to the wrong conclusions.

Ghost Adventures have been using a modified Kinect to spot spooks for quite a few years now.

Some of the stuff they've caught is genuinely creepy.

Wow... Pretty crushed by this, but I'll get over it.

If there's anything to be gained from this, it's that Platinum are definitely taking this game seriously - and aren't just farting it out because Microsoft paid them the big bucks.

Also, we're still getting Quantum Break, Cuphead, Gears 4, Sea of Thieves and ReCore - and possibly more exclusives (well, console exclusives), so I don't think Xbox One will be hurting too badly from this.

I dunno. I think discs are going the way of the dodo (unfortunately); physical media is a needless manufacturing cost, and games are getting increasingly constrained by their limitations. Look at Xenoblade Chronicles X or the Master Chief Collection as examples.

Having an all-digital market would cut out the middle-man for Microsoft, and they would get far more per sale than anything from Gamestop.

Don't get me wrong - I still prefer physical media very much, but I'm looking at this from a business point of view. Despite the 180s of the Xbox One, I still believe that Microsoft sees digital and online-only as the future - I think they simply jumped the gun too early at E3 2013. Maybe in 2020, people will be more willing to accept the idea. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft is investing heavily into the whole 'li-fi' thing that's being talked about. After all, they've already invested heavily in the Azure servers, and have been talking about how 'connected' they want everything to be now.

@KelticDevil I didn't "blindly defend" anything, mate. I provided reasons - actual, factual reasons - to counter your inelegant argument. I even agreed with a couple of your points.

"Microsoft stopped reporting sales numbers for Xbox One because it's currently getting trounced by PS4. It has nothing to do with the Wii U. I am pretty sure Phil Spencer isn't worried about Wii U sales."

I never said it had anything to do with Wii U.

"If your #'s are correct, Micosoft [sic] has "only" sold 4 million more. Only?! The Wii U came out first! Lol. It's not even close"

Actually, it is, when considering that last gen both Xbox 360 and PS3 sold 80 million, and Wii sold 100 million. But like I said, those numbers are no longer accurate.

"And the Wii U "not selling like hotcakes" is a massive understatement. It has been a disaster. It's worse than the Gamecube, which says something."

Yes, I know. It's called a wry understatement.

"And if you are going to try to argue that Nintendo has a better online service than Microsoft or Sony, you are either drunk &/or high. Lol."

Nice. I guess I'm an alcoholic drug addict then - because considering what you pay for (free, as I so emphasised), the Nintendo Network is better, IMO. But hey, if you're happy paying for a service with more holes than a Titanic-brand cheese grater, then go ahead.

"This is the same company that sold a network adaptor for the Gamecube & then released ONE game that used it. Phantasy Star Online. That's it. The Wii was pure garbage online. I mean I don't know how else to explain it. I thought that point was obvious. I guess not."

... Okay? What does that have to do with the Wii U? Or anything in 2015?

"And I didn't say the more powerful the console, the better. But Nintendo not even being up to industry standards irritates 3rd party developers. Why would a company form a completely different team to work on an underpowered console that doesn't sell? It makes no sense."

What are these "industry standards" you're talking about? That's a pretty broad and vague definition. Is PS4 the 'industry standard'? PC? Google's loony matrix supercomputer? You do realise that power is all relative, right? I guess PS4 and Xbox One aren't up to 'industry standards' either, considering they use weak tablet CPUs. Designing a games console isn't as simple as cramming in the most powerful components you can find. Hell, I'll even provide a quote by Ko Shiota, who was in charge of Wii's semiconductor technology:

"Normally when you decide to use new semiconductor technology, you do so solely for the sake of more extravagance and higher performance. In the case of the CPU, you try to progressively improve its processing power, which in turn raises its power consumption and increases its size. Sophisticated semiconductor technology is required to realise this goal."
"While you could use such cutting-edge semiconductor technology in order to facilitate this kind of extravagance, you can choose to apply this technology in other ways, such as making chips smaller. We have utilised the technology in this way so that we could minimise the power consumption of Wii. If the chip becomes smaller, we can make the size of the console smaller.'
"With a smaller chip and minimised power consumption, Wii can be left on 24 hours a day. This is what I meant when I said that the way Wii makes use of state-of-the-art technologies is completely different from the way in which they are used in other devices."

Besides, being the 'weakest' console didn't stop Wii, DS or 3DS from selling. Nor the PSOne and PS2.

"Where did you hear Splatoon is innovative? You're kidding, right?"

Oh, I dunno... Everyone who has played it? Or all the awards it has won? Or all the praise it got for being a new, fresh experience? Google is a thing, you know.

"And are you actually trying to defend Nintendo's decision to stick with cartridges? That's hilarious. That was a historically awful idea that cost them millions upon millions of dollars."

Jesus, are you even reading what I said? I never denied that it cost them greatly - and I provided perfectly valid reasons why they did what they did. You don't have to like it or agree with it. How much more clear can I make it?

"The Wii sold well, yes. But for all the wrong reasons. I went through the reasons in previous posts, so I won't recap here. But obviously, those sales didn't lead to Wii U sales since the Wii U isn't selling well."

"Wrong reasons?" What twaddle. Just what are the 'right reasons' for a product to sell? It sold. It made money. It got widespread exposure. The Wii U's failings doesn't somehow negate those achievements. The PS2 sold a lot based off its movie playback capabilities - I guess that was a 'wrong' reason for it to sell, too?

"And Nintendo screwing over Sony is the single dumbest move in the history of gaming, in my opinion. Sony had no intention of making a video game console. But after Nintendo flat-out disrespected them in public, at a conference no less, Sony jumped in the business & has since completely dominated them."

Oh dear. Your lack of reading comprehension shows itself again. I never denied any of that happened - once more, I just provided reasons as to why Nintendo did what it did. It's arguable that Nintendo would've been in worse shape now if they had continued with Sony. Either way, its biggest mistake was partnering with them in the first place.

"In fact even Microsoft is beating them down now, as well. Nintendo has no one to blame but themselves. And since Nintendo is going mobile & more worried about selling toy figurines, I have little faith that whatever console they put out next will be any better than than [sic] the last."

Aaaannnd we've come full circle. A company 'beat down' consists of having games perform poorly, refusal to report sales numbers, and the loss of billions in the process? Wow, I'm sure Nintendo is devastated by that.

I don't want to spend my life derailing this thread, so I'm done.

I have a feeling that the next Xbox will take cues from Valve's Steam Machines, and be fully upgradable whilst sharing an ecosystem with PC, phones and tablets - thanks to Windows 10 (or 11, by then).

Microsoft has a lot more resources than Valve in order to make such an idea work. Just imagine; instead of buying a new console, you simply pick up an Xbox brand graphics card, slap it into the console, and Bob's your uncle.

@KelticDevil "The Xbox is way more relevant [sic] in the game industry than the Wii U. How would Microsoft be closer to going third party than Nintendo? All of that makes no sense. If you are talking handhelds, then obviously. But in terms of consoles, it's not even close."

As last reported, Xbox One has only sold about 4 million more units than Wii U.

The key phrase is last reported.

As I said before, you don't just stop releasing sales numbers unless something is wrong. Not to mention the fact that the Xbox brand has cost Microsoft billions, and software sales have been lacklustre. The vast majority of multi-format games have been sold on PS4 and PC, and we've seen exclusive titles underperform (Forza 6 and Tomb Raider), and certain releases even cancelled (disc version of Shovel Knight, which still came out on Wii U).

I'm just going by the info that's already out there. The Wii U isn't exactly selling like hotcakes either, but at least it has some strong software sales to help compensate.

"And this b.s. about Nintendo being so "innovative" drives me nuts. How are they so innovative now? They are behind the times in technology, online service, games, etc., etc."

Online? You mean the free online that doesn't go down on a regular basis? The same online that Nintendo has been experimenting with since the Famicom days? Hell, even the Xbox 360 lacked a wireless connecter - something which even the Wii had.

In regards to power... You do realise that's a conscious, deliberate choice on behalf of Nintendo? Not some strange inability to access the latest specs? The obsession with power last gen caused countless studios to go bust, thanks to obscene development costs. Having 'weaker' hardware has its advantages - games are easier to make, and the margin for profit is larger.

Besides, since when does 'power' dictate how fun a game is? It's funny, because both Xbox One and PS4 suffer from erratic framerates, and developers are already compromising visual fidelity in order to get their games to run (hello, Halo 5). Most games today are buggy to the gills, and require umpteenth patches to get working. Yet, the Wii U has smooth, visually impressive games like Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2, Smash Bros and Xenoblade Chronicles X. Hell, even Star Fox Zero somehow will have two 60fps screens at the same time.

Yeah, de-emphasising power was a terrible choice.

Finally, how on earth are Nintendo 'behind' in terms of games? Last I heard, both Splatoon and Super Mario Maker were praised for their innovation.

"People making excuses for Nintendo is ridiculous. I have owned every Nintendo console & was around in the 80's when they resurrected the video game industry in the U.S. But countless arrogant, stubborn, & flat-out stupid decisions have them at a distant 3rd place in the industry."

Yes, they have made stupid decisions - but newsflash, so does every company.

"In my opinion, Microsoft or Sony would be doing them a favor by buying them. Save them from themselves."

I think Microsoft and Sony have their own issues to worry about first. Namely, dwindling relevance (ironic) in operating systems for the former, and massive losses and woeful security for the latter.

"This is the company that refused CD-ROM until it lost them most 3rd party publishers, used mini-discs, called online play "a fad", then gives us friend's codes (embarassing) [sic] on an underpowered console with no HD capabilities, & has been milking the same franchises since the 80's & 90's [sic]. Their arrogance & sheer disrespect towards Sony basically created the PlayStation, which has now trounced them for years."

Financially, sticking with cartridges bit them in the ass - but their reasons were sound. The format was stronger - both physically and against piracy. In addition, they loaded assets much faster.

Mini-discs were a similar story. However, one has to wonder how detrimental they were for Gamecube's sales, considering the Xbox sold about the same amount with DVDs.

Calling online gaming a fad was a big mistake on their part, so were friend codes.

Wii's lack of HD didn't exactly hurt its sales. Even games like Super Mario Galaxy, Smash Bros. Brawl and Xenoblade have aged very well.

I find it funny how people accuse [company X] or milking [franchise Y]. The reason why they last so long is because people like playing them. Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all have their old-hands they rely on - and all have new stuff that is released. If you accuse one company of milking franchises - then you accuse them all.

In regards to the whole Sony SNES situation - Sony wasn't entirely blameless in the affair. They wanted an obscene amount of royalties to the games they would've made (so much so that Nintendo would've had to pay them), and tried to hide the clause in the contracts. Yamauchi got pissed. The rest is history.

Nintendo going third party would be a terrible idea. Their games are intrinsically tied to their hardware, and much of that magic would be lost under Microsoft's rules.

No, the industry needs Nintendo's innovation, in order to keep the competitors on their toes.

Besides, if anything, it seems like Microsoft are closer to going third party. Not only are they publishing a Wii U game, but they're no longer reporting Xbox sales (preferring to hide the brand during financials), and are seemingly moving back toward PC and Windows.

Either way, only having two main console competitors sounds too restrictive - the current three is the right amount, IMO.

With that said, a partnership of some kind might work. Since Nintendo is moving into smartphones, and NX is rumored to have some sort of OS ecosystem, maybe incentives could be made in using Windows 10 as an exclusive platform? Imagine that announcement! Nintendo and Microsoft teaming up to really take the fight to Google and Apple, haha.

$5.9 billion for a one-hit wonder... And I thought MS paying $2.5 billion for Mojang was ridiculous!

@KelticDevil I agree about the Sony press conference - it was very much a load of hot air.

However, the Shenmue games were groundbreaking when they first arrived. They provided living, breathing worlds that were virtually unseen in videogames during that time. Each individual NPC had their own voice (which is still rare today) and schedule, and the level of interactivity was unparalleled. Remember, this was in 1999.

Wow. A stark contrast to Push Square's 6/10. I get the impression that enjoyment of this game depends entirely on whether you're still a fan of the AC style. I'm not, but I do recognise many like it. I personally would like to see the series go back to its roots; social stealth and open-ended mission design.

Sweet! Definitely gonna grab this 😊

Wow, that sounds really promising. I didn't know Capcom were behind the Kitchen demo!

Why would the retailers even sell early? Aren't they afraid of Microsoft's wrath?

This is awesome 😃

That's the power of videogames!!! My twin brother has had five open hearts over the years (last one when we were 13), and the hospital stay was made much more bearable thanks to videogames. It was actually there when I decided to buy the Xbox, after reading about how amazing Halo was in a magazine 😊

If these bundles (and Halo 5) doesn't make the Xbox One fly off the shelves, then I don't know what will.

Yes! Owning a Windows Phone is finally starting to pay off 😆

Last thing I'll add here: http://www.gamnesia.com/news/sonys-president-says-wii-u-is-his-favorite-non-sony-console

But seriously though, Ouya destroys all.

Damn straight, P3!

I mean sure, it's one thing to criticise a company if you dislike something - fair enough. But it's another thing entirely to mercilessly (and psychotically) crap on anything you don't like. It's not just the usual places like GameFaqs and YouTube; it's the internet as a whole, where negativity festers and thrives. Sure, brand wars have been around for decades, but the digital age has really magnified the stupidity by a million-fold.

It's not just consoles either. PC vs. Mac and iOS vs. Android stinks up the joint, too (ironic, considering I like Linux and Windows Phone), and on a wider scale, there's Marvel vs. DC, WWE vs. Everything Else, Sports vs. Sports vs. Sports vs. Sports...

Hilarious thing is, people can't seem to understand that these 'rival' companies are always working together in some capacity. Game development is done on PC. Nintendo has had Sony distribute its cartoons. All of them have had games release on mobiles. All the people behind your favourite games like to play OTHER stuff, too. Splatoon devs like Battlefield and COD. Shuhei Yoshida enjoys Nintendo. Reggie Fils-Aime plays Gears of War.

Fanboys and trolls. You're fighting a war that doesn't exist.

@Gamer83 Agree completely.

Strange. I thought KOTOR (and other Star Wars games) were no longer canon?

Truly great review, Ken.

This is one of the games I'll definitely be picking up when I get an Xbox One. The industry NEEDS more titles like this.

110 of 'em will be DLC.

That's alotta mudcrabs.

If Kevin Owens is in this (and I imagine he will be), then I MAY pick this up. Custom CAW music is the clincher.

Can't wait to see Scalebound and Halo 5!

Looks cool, but I think I'll wait for the GOTY edition.

What a tool.

Seriously, is every parent a brainless twit these days?

A shame - but I wouldn't be too broken up about it if it's true. There are a ton of games coming out this year that I'm planning on getting, and one less will help my poor wallet...

@A_BabyRed_Yoshi The best thing to do is to start a blog, and just write, write, write! Also, make a habit of sharing your work via social media, and show off your work by emailing gaming/entertainment sites. Keep pestering them - and eventually they'll respond (even if it's just a 'no'). The key is persistence! Also, it helps to think outside the box, and to do stuff that's different (which is how many of the YouTube personalities got so big).

Great article, Ken!

As a game reviewer myself, I can attest to these tips. Hell, many of the reviews I've read from the big sites/mags over the years have been enough to make me shudder, due to their sheer badness (but that's the minority, thankfully).

I think the biggest challenge in reviewing games is finding the flippin' time to play them! Shorter games like Call of Duty and The Order are fine, but epic RPGs like Elder Scrolls are a monumental task - usually I only review them because I'm playing them, regardless.

Oh, and an extra tip for would-be critics: Nintendo doesn't like giving free games 😒

"Kept you waiting, huh?"

YES SNAKE YOU'VE KEPT US ALL WAITING GOD.

Sweet! I've been waiting for this to be announced 😊

Time to buy an Xbox One.

Captain Toad - Wii U
Final Fantasy II - PS Vita
Half-Life 2: Episode 2 - Steam

Oh, and my Super Pretendo, of course 😄

@shingi_70 I agree.

Nuts and Bolts was actually quite excellent, and I applaud Rare for trying something different.

However, it just wasn't suited to the Banjo franchise - it would have been better as a new IP.

Knowing Rare, I bet they'd open the E3 trailer by teasing that the new Banjo will be an FPS

Cheeky trolls, they are.

That's a damn shame.

I always kinda hoped for a Blinx revival. The original games had some neat ideas that were otherwise marred by some strange design (from what I remember).

At least give us a sequel to Voodoo Vince, MS!

I may pick up the Limited Edition...

Somehow, I think $250 could be better spent elsewhere, lol.

Okay, now this is what I like to see!

Kick ass! I'll definitely be getting this!

@JaredJ Yeah, that was a pretty big shock. It'll be interesting to see if he takes on Chael Sonnen

Wow! That was some awesome gameplay that totally wasn't pre-rendered CGI!

...Right?

Eeeeehhh... I'd rather they port the games to Windows Phone instead.

I can't see Infinity Blade translating well to home console.