Value in Video Games - Does it Still Exist?

“Do you want fries with that?”

 This phrase is known throughout fast food diners across the globe. But these days in Gaming, it seems as though you have to pay more in order to cure your gaming hunger. Why is this? With the launch of Arcade, Indie and now Games on Demand, retailers are feeling the effects of the Digital Age. ‘Supersizing’, for example, from a 120GB to a 320GB PS3 will not be kind to your pocket but will certainly be kind towards Sony and the retailer themselves. Now with Trade in’s becoming more and more frustrating with the pricing, is the customer the most important source for a company or is it all about the money?

 But what factors contribute to you, the consumer, being left to part with more of your hard earned cash in order to chill out with Master Chief, lie in with Lara Croft or mess around with Mario? Are we, the gaming community, getting the best from the market when games are so varied in price (console compared to game apps)? Are we still Lovin’ it? Let’s look at one of the main culprits with the Retailers.

  In the old days, gamers would gather at gaming retailers to discuss the latest talk around the hobby which they all enjoyed.  Contests would be held to see who the true superstar of a game was. Now, High Street outlets are like ghost towns. No-one has any spare money with the state of the economy and the Games Industry is no different.  Good deals seem harder to find now and the RRP of most games is £49.99 (in the UK) which High Street stores seem to price the game near, giving a discount of £10 on most occasions. If you are willing to wait a day or so you can order online from hundreds of websites for a lot cheaper than you can buy from the High Street. Where is the sales service? The conversations and interaction with fellow gaming enthusiasts are non-existent.

 Trade in’s, which gaming outlets were once renowned for, are also being neglected. The pricing for some of the trade in prices are ridiculous. Every so often outlets promote special offers by trading in your console and you get so much off a better one. I don’t think this is enough. Trade in prices for games seem to be disrespectful towards the consumer. We buy games at full price on release date and maybe around 6 months to a year later, the value has roughly dropped to around 10% of its original value.

 One of the main reasons for this however is the yearly releases of some franchises, sporting titles in particular. Personally I am a huge football (soccer) fan so my favoured football game is Fifa 12. Every year on release day I rush to the game store so I can then rush home and be graced with the finest footballing experience there is available. But again, I know some yearly releases are a must, Sporting franchises only might I add? Rosters change, graphics become more lifelike and also the mechanics of the gameplay change. I know of many gamers throughout the community who argue “why can’t the roster just be changed?” Call of Duty doesn’t need a yearly release and neither does Assassins Creed or Need for Speed. If the games are released too close together, the value of the previous game almost becomes worthless.

 On the flip side of poor trade in prices, if you are buying a used game you will have to pay a significantly higher price than the shop bought it for as well as the dreaded ‘Online Pass’ which most games feature nowadays if you wish to play online. Developers have hit back and looking for more money in order for gamers playing their game. I do believe developers deserve to make their money. They create the fantastic titles we play and dedicate months, if not years, to keep us entertained for months and years. But to buy a second hand game and then have to pay £10 in addition to that? You may as well buy the game brand new. As much as Call of Duty’s multiplayer has been criticised for hacks and trolling, it is extremely popular due to its easy accessibility.

 Arcade and Indie gaming on Xbox Live have proved to be very popular amongst the community but Games on Demand has been a major let-down. The Arcade provides developers with feedback to games which may have gone on to become full retail releases. Titles such as I am Alive, Alan Wake’s American Nightmare and Castle Crashers. The Indie game Marketplace gives inexperienced game creators the chance to show what new and fresh ideas they can create with a relatively low budget. The only good part I can see from Games on Demand however are some titles which have yet to be released on disc, Crysis, Resident Evil 4 and Code Veronica X HD to name three games which are featured in Games on Demand. However, the pricing is far too expensive for most games. Halo Reach which had been released in September 2010 was still £39.99 on the Marketplace more than one year later. Pricing such as this will continue to persuade people to surf the web to look for the cheaper alternative.

 The internet is the most impersonal way in which to purchase video games. Where is the service? The friendly chatter? The sense of satisfaction? You can’t have a conversation with your computer monitor regarding where to find all the hidden packages in Grand Theft Auto can you? As much as this is missing from websites, the current state of the economy will dictate how we spend our money and this will obviously make gamers spend their money online. So whether it’s from Amazon, Play or similar websites, we can all find that great deal that will have us smiling that we have saved some money… As long as we are willing to wait.

 Back to my original point in that do we gamers believe we are getting value for money? The short answer is no. Of course there are a few ways in which we can find a great bargain, Deals of the Week via XBL, deals on websites or waiting for deals to happen in retail outlets. But for the majority of the time a lack of service, poor trade in prices as well as additional online pass codes which need to be purchased in most instances, I beg that the games industry takes a good look at itself and repay the faith in which the community has shown this great culture. Can we also make gaming easy to access as well? Let’s turn this expensive, ‘Supersized’ burger into a small, Value burger. They’re both burgers aren’t they?

If this article has made you hungry then I apologise but it’s really about the gaming J.

@SimonMarshall

Kinect Criticism – Is it Justified?

“Come on kids. It’s time to get interactive with the Kinect!” 

 To most of you, that is what Microsoft must have been thinking when the Kinect was released to the public in 2010. Many gamers debated whether the motion control fad was about to influence the Xbox in the way in which the sensor bar had revolutionised the Nintendo Wii. With sales of the Kinect booming around Christmas 2010, many thought that Microsoft would capitalise on this popularity and bring all genres of games to the latest evolution is console gaming. With few games failing to capture the innovation and competitiveness which has seen game franchises become successful in recent years. So, who is the Kinect aimed at then? Again, most of you would say it would be kids or young teenagers. But why can’t it be for everyone? In the world of Kinect, are there such things as Casual and Hardcore gamers?

  Games which were released in conjunction with the Kinects release included Kinect Sports, Fighters Uncaged, Motion Sports: Play for Real, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved and Kinect Adventures which was included in the Kinect. Straight from the word go, the public and the media seemed to have decided that the Kinect was aimed at children who love to jump around and are always active instead of sitting perfectly still on the couch while creeping through a war-torn city trying to save the world from World War 3. Why can’t these types of interactive games be for everyone? (Unless of course you have a disability or find it hard to move) I’m certain that everyone, at some point in their lives have played sport and enjoyed running around and playing football, tennis or golf. Once I had received my Kinect on Christmas morning I was ecstatic! (I was 21 at the time!) I couldn’t wait to see what the technology was like and how well the sensor would pick up my movements in front of the camera.

 I was very impressed indeed. The voice commands as well which could be performed impressed me also especially because of my nationality, Scottish, and my hard to understand accent. It was the overall excitement of the technology which was in front of my very eyes. It was far more impressive than the Wii’s sensor bar and far more impressive than Sony’s Move. Even at first glance, the Kinect titles looked to be for the younger gamers.

However, many gamers turned their back on this revolution for Xbox and went back to playing Call of Duty, Halo and Need for Speed. I feel as if the Kinect brings in all sorts of gaming stereotypes, Children of all ages (well, 3 and upwards), middle aged people who aren’t gamers and the older generation. Most people can jump, dodge, kick and punch mid-air so why not bring the enjoyment factor that the whole family can interact with in game challenges. Dinner with the family on a Sunday could turn into a games night…

 But no, most gamers would rather be left on their own in a dark room with yesterday’s dinner still on their shirts. This is not a dig at the current stereotypical gamers who wish to play the same game all day and all night. We all have our likes and dislikes. I don’t see how people can play Call of Duty and only Call of Duty for days on end. Kinect changed the typical gaming set up (slightly more advanced than Nintendo’s and Sony’s versions) for the better in my opinion.

The Kinect has not only been used for gaming but as the following advert from Microsoft shows, it can be tweaked and altered to be used for several assignments and activities:

As much as the Nintendo Wii was a success, the technology involved in the motion capturing system was basic and cannot compare to the Kinect’s power. I believe that Playstation merely released the Move just to try and keep up with its rivals and it was a huge failure. Lacklustre games were released immediately after the Move was released and not followed up with any further releases. Meanwhile, games for the Xbox continue to back their “technological experiment” with support in hardcore games and games which use the Kinect’s powers entirely. Games such as Gunstringer, Kinect: Star Wars, Rise of Nightmares, Dance Central 1 & 2 and Ghost Recon: Future Soldier. All of these titles have been developed by utilising the Kinect’s technology and motion capturing system so that every body movement is captured and displayed in the game as accurately as possible. Of course there are the childrens titles including Sesame Street and Disneyland Adventures which appeal to children of all ages.

 

 As I have mentioned, several developers have used Kinect functions in their games, some of the more hardcore titles including Forza Motorsport 4, Mass Effect 3, Virtua Tennis 4 and Tiger Woods 13. I believe that developers are finally taking notice of the Kinect and taking it serious. The inclusion in Forza and Mass Effect 3 especially show how much the Kinect has been accepted. The voice command’s in Mass Effect 3 work extremely well in the game (the demo anyway) and fully immerses you into the role of Shepherd.

 

It is rumoured that the Kinect was an experiment on the 360 to use with the next generation which I’m sure Microsoft are in the middle of developing. I believe that the Kinect has been somewhat of a success without impressing every gamer out there. Some of the titles are lacklustre and the same rubbish that keeps appearing (Kinect Sports or Motion Sports) but all in all, I believe that the Kinect has been a success and needs to be accepted for the great piece of technology that it is.

@SimonMarshall6

Online Gaming - Why is no-one talking... Can you hear me?

 When the current generation of Gaming was created in 2005, direct communication through online gameplay was born for the console players. Of course, communication on PC gaming had already been established for several years but this brought the use of microphones to the forefront of gaming. Xbox live allowed gamers to instruct one another and allowed players to get along with one another as they shared common ground with the games they were playing. Of course when the PS3 was released the communication in gaming was not as open as it is on Xbox 360, due to PS3 having no party system. Eventually however, the mood within the online community changed and many people preferred to play without a headset and why is this? This current trend of no communication through gaming has become more and more noticeable over the past 2-3 years. Surely the community’s attitude hasn’t turned sour… Has it?

 Ever since the emergence of popular FPS and 3PS franchises such as Call of Duty, Halo and Gears of War, Communication in gaming has always been vital. How else would you know where an enemy is coming from if you are crouched behind some barrels or whether to go all-out attack and go for the victory? So why did people suddenly begin to stop using the headset to use Party chat or no headset at all?

 The main reason I believe is due to the amount of children that play games which are intended for a mature audience. Kids screaming at you, “Die! Die! Die!” That sort of language and attitude from gamers under 12 or so is no good at all. It ruins the realistic feel which games are supposed to impose or immerse you into the game, as it were.  One minute you are sneaking around playing Search and Destroy and before you know it someone on your team is going around killing everyone because they ‘feel like it’. Partly, it is this immature attitude which has divided the hard-core gamers and Casual gamers I would say. This act of selfishness amongst the “Team Killers” which ruin the game for everyone on their team can be avoided with player feedback in the profile menu but once the act has been committed, it is hard to get your win streak back, especially if you are going for achievements.

Point in question

 These are gamers who wish to show off to their friends by saying, “Oh, look who I killed, they all died trololololol.” Again, this selfish act may just be the last straw for some players who will inevitably turn their back on the game and move onto something else. I would know it’s happened to me before. That is why I have never touched COD: MW3 because of the amount of immature players which are on the servers. Of course the majority of players just wish to play and play fair but there’s a minority who wish to “Troll”.

 The current trend of “Trolling” has impacted gaming like an unwanted zit on prom night. Gamers throughout forums seem to be embracing the “Troll” as well as the Trollface logo. I for one totally discourage this. It’s no wonder people have opted out of using microphones because of small minded gamers who wish to poke fun at any given chance. Left 4 Dead is another prime example of great teamwork to begin with and then it turned into every man for himself. Survival is the aim of the game in both Left 4 Dead games and in order to do this, you need to stick together. When the first game was released it was no problem as the community did this without hesitation. But as the public’s ability to play the game grew, people became cocky and started venturing off on their own which inevitably means that Left 4 Dead became Left 3 Dead, Left 2 Dead then Left to die all on your own. Again, not only did this make players want to only play with their friends or forget about wearing a headset but also turned players away from the game when Left 4 Dead 2 was released.

 Games such as Fifa 12 with its “Be a Pro Mode” which allowed 22 players from around the world play in the same game and if you weren’t quick, then you had to play out of position as the popular positions of strikers and wingers would be taken straight away. As you were communicating with your teammates and asking for a pass or even a touch of the ball, players would play with themselves or with their friends while you are in the same team which makes games very frustrating. The exact same problem which faces other games I have mentioned. Gamers playing the games while looking for solo glory and abandoning the rest of the team happens in many games these days. There is a way around this problem however which can only be found on Xbox.

 The Xbox revolutionised the communication barrier with the party system. Friends could gather in a single party and play the game they wanted to play it and if you were a serious gamer then this was the way forward. If you were playing COD, Left 4 Dead or Fifa then you could plan how to play the game while you were in the middle of the game itself! Personally, I only use the party system nowadays. I have been put off of public communication and would rather talk to my friends or my Xbox Live friends over party chat. It cuts out all of the abuse, bullying and ranting that every Joe Bloggs seems to want to talk about. It of course is a big bad world out there in Xbox Live communication. Microsoft can’t stop that unless they removed the communication function.

 Of course I am part of the problem in that I only use party chat but Microsoft… What else can I do?

 The maturity of some gamers is a whole other issue. Parents buying their kids GTA, which is an 18 rated game and letting them play it shows how little they know of games. I don’t think that the fad of trolling will go anywhere soon. Just need to hope that by the time the next generation rolls around, everyone will have grown up and can play like adults!

Can't we all just talk about it and get along... please?!

@SimonMarshall6

GT: SCIENCEakaSYCO

New Video Game Releases- Are We Stuck in a Rut?

When Pong was created in 1972, the creators of the game had no idea what this simple yet addictive video game would create. For the past 40 years, the phenomenon which is gaming has evolved and grown from two stick paddles and a ball to a multi-billion dollar industry. We have seen the rise and fall of arcades, numerous consoles and also of game series. Many great names have been made in the gaming world both by producing games as well as starring in them. Many days and even weeks have been consumed up without notice on trying to complete a game. Players become so engrossed in a game that nothing else seems important. But, now in 2012, has game ideas gone as far as they could go? I have been thinking about this for a while and it seems as though we have had every sort of game imaginable and in today’s market, the same games are being released without much imagination or a so-called “X-Factor” which makes it stand out from the crowd. What is left for gaming? We have been to then ends of the universe fighting aliens and we are even able to learn guitar on games. But what has caused this over-flooding of poor quality games or the lack of genius behind some of the new titles which has merely seen rebranding or sequels. I promise there will not be a sequel to this blog… Well if I make enough money there may be.

 Activision and Infinity Ward broke, almost, every record within Guinness’ little book last November with the release of Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3. This was the third game in which Activision have released under the Modern Warfare title and was always bound to break records. As history suggests, Call of Duty 4 and Modern Warfare 2 at the time of each games release, broke records of sales figures so the success of the third MW game was inevitable. One of the successes of this franchise though is that basically, the gameplay has never changed since the unique COD 4. In essence, the COD franchise began with the classic World War 2 setting and gameplay. This continued onto COD 2 and 3 but the evolution which was created for COD 4, was incomparable to gameplay which had been featured before. The online modes were great and could keep you entertained for hours on end. But now I feel, as do millions of others, feels that the COD franchise has been bogged down with the same recipe ever since COD 4 was released. World at War, MW2, Black Ops and now MW3 have all had the same gameplay which made Activision’s 2007 release such a smash hit. No advancements on the gameplay, not building on the gameplay which created a whole new fad of the FPS genre. Of course the game still sells very well but I know many have been put off by the games lack of variety and poor community.

 Don’t get me wrong, it is not only COD that suffers from this sequel, money grabbing concept. Games such as Assassin’s Creed, Need for Speed and even games like Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat who bring out edition after edition after edition with extra characters added in each time. The problem I see with it is where is the innovation? Where is the inspiration which made these original games great? Have developers become so engrossed in getting money that it is willing to forget its loyal fans that made them the big name which they are today? As soon as a game seems to do well after 1 or 2 games, the company seems to stick with the formula and maintain the same old gameplay. I would go as far to say that I am not a fan of any of these games anymore. The lack of variety and difference in gameplay shows a lack of ideas in the gaming market. This is why the market is getting bogged down with the same old games being produced year after year.

 Not all yearly releases are a bad idea in my eyes however. Sports games such as Fifa 12, NBA 2K12 and Madden 12 all require yearly updates for squads and rosters. Not only this, but the gameplay does change every year from Fifa’s contact engine to the tactical defending and then the online features which all of these games feature. These games to require yearly releases as well as new features as that’s what makes them feel so fresh.

This lack of evolution in gameplay in this current generation may also be due to overcrowding of not only same games, but also the same genre of games, most notably the first person shooter genre. Again, Call of Duty created the benchmark into what became the phenomenon for console gaming on the current generation. The market is now filled with every type of FPS you can think of. WW2, Cold War, near futuristic wars and also wars which take place in space and anywhere imaginable. These days there are so many titles which hope to gain customers who will play their product, as well as COD. Games over the past 12 months such as Brink, Homefront, Crysis 2, Operation Flashpoint, Warhammer 40000: Space Marine, Rage and Bodycount to name but a few all follow the COD formula and all failed to some extent in the FPS category. Brink was hailed as the next big thing with innovative gameplay and constant action but this failed to impress both critics and the public. Crysis 2 is a bit different however, the gameplay was well accepted but the online modes were compared too much to that of COD and were seen as being too similar. Where is the “X Factor”? Sure we all like games with guns in them as it is exciting but far too many average shooters in not good for anyone.

 Another point for this lack of ideas could be pinpointed to what we, the fans, want. For years we have been crying out for this game or that game to be re-released for this current generation and now we have… HD COLLECTIONS!

 Over the past 2 years we have seen the releases of many classic games in HD format so that we can try to feel the same excitement we felt when the HD game in question was originally released. Over the past 12 months, we have seen the likes of Resident Evil 4 & Code Veronica, Silent Hill 2 & 3, Metal Gear Solid 2, 3 & Peace Walker, Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary, Devil May Cry 1, 2 & 3, Ico and Shadow of Colossus all being re-released in HD for the 360 or PS3. With the work and effort that is required to polish an old game up to HD standards, surely that time could be used to brainstorm a new and fresh idea and even begin development of it. Of course games developers would be nowhere without the fans but as well as SOME HD Collections, most of all we want to see new games being released, not carbon copies.

 More recently Xbox fans have been upset with the company due to the lack of exclusives coming to Microsoft’s console. Playstation seems to have much more of a varied exclusives list than Xbox which again is a major downfall of the current games market. Halo, like COD seems to be getting over produced and a new game is released often. Once a year perhaps and with the announcement of Halo 4, 5 and 6, we can only hope that the Halo series can concentrate on becoming the frontier of Microsoft’s console.

 So please Game developers of the world, take your time with these games in which we the public dedicate many hours, days or years to your products. We need to be provided with new and fresh games. I don’t want to play Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 26 which still features N00b Tubing, Need for Speed: The Running out of Ideas or Assassins Creed: Ezio’s Great, Great, Great Grandson. With all of the hype on the next generation of Console gaming, I feel that we should give this generation the send-off it deserves… Although the next generation has yet to be announced.

@SimonMarshall6

Resident Evil 6 – A Return to the Original and Best Zombie Philosophy?

Little over a week ago, a site was created and began filling the entertainment world with speculation over what the videos could be for. “No Hope Left” was the name of the website and also the slogan for the videos, which quickly became viral. As many rumours began to grow larger by the minute on the internet, an announcement was made that would reveal the intention behind the website and videos on the 19^th of January 2012, at 10pm (UK time). With the Biohazard logos also being used in the videos along with “No Hope Left”, many figured that the next instalment of the original Zombie survival game, Resident Evil, was back and ready for action…

…They were right.

 As promised, the trailer hit the Internet like a punch from Nemesis and was spread around the web quicker than Wesker can move. The trailer revealed important parts of the games story, main characters, storyline and locations were all revealed to some extent from the trailer and the aftermath also. With the rumour mill now turning furiously, what will the next game bring? How will some of the rumoured gameplay mechanics blossom? The time has come for me to keep on turning the rumour mill with speculation which has already been started on the internet.

 In the mid 90’s, Resident Evil became a cult classic by combining refreshing gameplay mechanics and almost unplayable camera angles which made the game scary and also a landmark for the growing Video Game society to follow. From the first we soon had a sequel, which added more dangers than just zombies in Raccoon City. The third title saw Jill Valentine constantly battling a fierce monster in Nemesis. Code Veronica was the last of the ‘classic’ zombie in which the camera angle would have you running around in circles trying to pull off a better shot. The re-launch of the game in Resident Evil 4 saw a change of gameplay, location and, more importantly, zombies. This was still an amazing game which will no doubt be remembered as one of the defining games of the 2000’s but the formula which made RE such a hit, had been altered slightly and although it was still very good, the zombies were no longer ‘zombies’. They were village people gone mad. It was the same for game number 5 also. The main characters were still present in 4 & 5, with Leon and Chris respectively, but the zombie magic was nowhere to be seen.

 Now with the imminent release of Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City and, more importantly, Resident Evil 6 in November, is it possible that original is best and Capcom are hitting home to the zombie lovers amongst gamers? It has seemed to be such a long time since Capcom released Code Veronica and with all the different zombie themed titles these days, are they merely entering an overcrowded market?

The Trailer for those who have yet to see it for RE: 6:

The beginning of the trailer shows Leon Kennedy being faced a problem in that his close friend, the President of the United States, has become infected after a Bioterrorism attack. This seems certain to involve Leon killing the President but I believe this would just be the start of something bigger. Meanwhile, Chris Redfield has been deployed in China which has also been hit by a Bioterrorism attack. With the world on its knees thanks to the infection, it seems as though the experienced Leon and Chris will have a tough task against this global threat. The setting which the trailer has set and the circumstances seem reminiscent of previous Resident Evils, older titles as well as the more recent 4 & 5 as they were in Europe and Africa. The gameplay itself though, I believe, will return to the modern view from 4 & 5 but the enemies will be that of the older generations. The game seems to be a great mixture of good solid gameplay with enemies which are scary but also more intimidating that the ‘crazy village people’.  

 With so much hype around zombies these days, I felt it was time for the original and best creators of the zombie to revert back to what make the game series what it is today. So many games these days have embraced the zombie or scary culture:

·         Left 4 Dead 1 & 2

·         Dead Space 1 & 2

·         Rise of Nightmares

·         Red Dead Redemption: Undead Nightmare

·         Dead Rising 1 & 2, OTR, C0 & CW

 These games, to some degree, have all taken inspiration from Resident Evil, one thing which Resident Evil done better than anyone else was the fact that the game always kept you on your toes. Those savage dogs would jump through windows to foil your calm walk through a quiet corridor. This is one thing which has continued through every Resident Evil, the sense that nothing is as it should be. The Dogs in one, Lickers in two, Nemesis in three, the Regenerators in four and the Lickers again in five. I’m sure six will see a return of the frightening and atmospheric gameplay.

 As I have mentioned before, many fans of the series craved for a return to the classic zombie. With this return however, I am certain there will be newer enemies to face as well. This is set 10 years after the original outbreak and within the story, as well as location, the variety of enemies will be improved. Of course in rival zombie titles, Left 4 Dead for example has a Boomer, Spitter, Smoker, Hunter, Witch, Charger, Jockey and the Tank, as well as common infected. Obviously, Left 4 Dead is more of a fun zombie game rather than horrifying but for other games, the variety of enemies is brilliant as you never know what to expect.

  With so many zombie themed games being released ever since the last Resident Evil, I believe the time is right to revert back to the old style of zombies as well as a new setting and the highly acclaimed third person view in RE 4 and 5. With the game only being announced last week there will be a lot more to come from Capcom as to details of Resident Evil 6. Lets hope that the ultimate Zombie franchise will  continue successful build up after the viral videos... Hopefully we will see it if the zombie apocalypse doesn't come before then.

@SimonMarshall6

GTA V – The Evolution of a Cult Classic

 Little over 7 years ago, Rockstar let loose a game that would not only capture gamer’s admiration for an already successful series, but defined a genre by becoming the bestselling game on the PS2. With the typical rags to riches story came freedom and custom options which made you feel like you were Carl Johnson. While some things were unrealistic, the game never felt too “Arcade like” and the replay value of the game was second to none. You could spend a whole day doing the same thing and it would not get tiresome. For me personally, it is my favourite game of all time. The next release from the GTA series, GTA IV, took more of a more series approach to the sandbox genre. Now, with GTA V being revealed in November and a possible release this year, I will be taking a look at how GTA has changed from having jetpacks and rolling down a mountain in an Ambulance to blending into society and becoming an undercover criminal (almost).

 As I’m sure many of you have seen the trailer and if not, here it is:

Definitely a feeling of Deja Vu with the Vinewood sign, the beach workouts, Mount Chiliad, crop fields and running through the ‘hood’ from ‘Five-0’.

 With many details being speculated after the trailer, we can only take so much from the trailer but based on GTA’s past, we can guess what the beginning of the game will be. In both GTA: SA and GTA IV, the main story was about a ‘rags to riches’ story about average people who want to live the American Dream. At the beginning of each game, both main characters seem to be of poor background. CJ is a gang member who is nothing more than a street thug and Niko Bellic who is a veteran of a war in Eastern Europe. Both characters pretty much came from the gutter to make their name. As has been speculated in GTA V, the new character could be a middle aged gentleman, possibly a family man. He appears several times in the trailer, but then again, this could put us off of other things which involve people in the trailer:

·         A civilian turning down drugs

·         The man in the car folding the roof back then later being chased by the police

·         The criminal fleeing from the law on foot

 All players are possibilities. But the with the way in which Rockstar have brought GTA IV down to Earth, it seems likely that the middle aged man who is seen to rob the bank, look out onto the city and drive the blue convertible. This may seem the more realistic choice but hopefully it won’t be him. I feel as though past GTA characters such as Tommy Vercetti amd CJ had far more charisma around them. Niko just seemed dull and not too fun at all. Incidentally, this leads me onto my next point about ‘fun’.

 From GTA 3, Vice City and San Andreas, the series gradually built itself up to allow the player to play the game how they wanted it to be played. In 3 you couldn’t jump out of a moving car or swim but by the time SA was released, you could fly jets, cruise around in jetpacks and have CJ workout at the gym. GTA IV was a slight let down in this sense. Of course you could eat from take-away diners, fly helicopters and gun anything down but the game itself felt… different. The large open world of Vinewood, as well as the jets and planes in the trailer, suggest that the aeroplanes could be making a comeback for GTA V. An all new cover system for the 4^th game was introduced which partially seen an end to the hysterical shootouts while being chased down by the Police and then eventually the Army. The multiplayer aspect to GTA IV was a major plus point for the most recent release as players, to this day are still getting their fix from the GTA multiplayer and is still quite popular. Rockstar seem to be quite the masters with multiplayer, as seen with Red Dead: Redemption.

In San Andreas, you could personalise your version of CJ to exactly how you wanted him to be. You could make him fat, lean, skinny or any way you wanted him to be (almost). The customising options were brilliant. With GTA IV though, there wasn’t as much freedom and this was a bit of a let-down. The custom abilities you could create in SA eclipsed the mere clothes swap in GTA IV. No matter who the main character will be in GTA V, you can only hope that Rockstar’s return to Los Santos includes all the custom options that were available 8 years ago!

 Since the last instalment, there have been several games released which have used GTA’s past formula to score success. Games such as:

·         Saints Row 2 and The Third

·         True Crime (although you play as a cop)

·         Crackdown 1 and 2

·         Driv3r

·         The Mercenaries series

 Some of these games have sold well, especially Saints Row and Crackdown, but none of the titles can touch the complete feeling that ‘old school’ GTA gives you while taking on the dullest of missions. This is why I feel GTA needs to go back to the previous method of utter mayhem and great story mode. No other game can even come close to creating a game the way in which GTA creates GTA. That is why each release is similar to that of a Blockbuster movie, it is guaranteed success.

  Will the next GTA revert to the old style of carnage? Or maintain the newer, more realistic style of modern day criminality? To be honest, Rockstar knows how to make a gaming success. Anything with the big black R with an orange background knows how to make a successful game. I think that the Grand Theft Auto series has turned a corner from the San Andreas days with GTA IV. The more serious approach was an angle which some didn’t take to it immediately. The trailer for the next release looks to follow similar suit.

My head is telling me one thing but my heart is telling me another.

@SimonMarshall6

The PS Vita - Why It Will Fail

 With the imminent release of the Playstation Vita, games shops, websites, blogs and forums have been lighting up with features and videos of Sony’s latest handheld gaming device. Sony has promised great new graphics, new Sony apps, fresh games and the intention to revolutionise an already crowded market. With the failure of Sony’s last handheld device, the PSP, still fresh in the public’s mind, I ask, will the Vita be accepted by the public and embraced like the Playstation? Or, will it merely be an insignificant failure in the gaming world? That is why I am writing this on my blog.

 The PSP, in the public’s eye, will always be seen as a failure. Like many other ‘fads’ prior to the 2005 release, its success was short lived and never lived up to the hype. It could do most things. You could watch movies, TV shows, listen to your songs, surf the web and of course, play PSP games. Aside from the PSP game part, the handheld system was merely an iPod which by this time was gaining momentum to take over the world. Personally, I spent my first ever months wage on a Sony PSP and loved the fact that you could do all these things (as I didn’t have an iPod). The games I bought at the time were Ridge Racer and Fifa 06 (I think). I must have owned the PSP system for around 3 months until I sold it. It was far too big to carry around in your pocket, the graphics were poor (Fifa as I recall was very pixelated) and was more of an inconvenience than a gaming revolution. Soon after the hype had calmed down, the sales had calmed and the games were getting worse. The PSP had had its day, not long after being released. Different models being released which claimed improvements and I haven’t even mentioned the monumental catastrophe which was the PSP Go. All in all the PSP was a failure and I fear the same for Vita, as Sony hasn’t learnt lessons from the past.

 These days, everything can be done from Smart Phones. Gaming, internet, music, TV and movies can all be utilised in some way on Smart Phones. As I have mentioned before, Apple have created a new era for gaming which HTC, Samsung and Motorola have all embraced, while Sony have not. As well as the fact most people already own a Smart Phone, the games are substantially cheaper. The RRP of a brand new Playstation Vita is around £39.99. The most successful gaming app ever on Smart Phones is Angry Birds which started out as a budget app on i-Tunes and has now became a global phenomenon. Merchandise, several varieties of the game available and now every handset wishes to have this addictive game on its phones. Of course there will always be a place for big budget games but for this low cost, addictive type of gaming, it seems to be much more appealing to the masses. The type of people who are willing to pass the time playing games while travelling to work or school as well as surfing the web, texting and watching TV shows. All of which is available on Smart phones. Most is available on the Vita, but not all. This is definitely the biggest problem with the Vita. Where does it stand in the market? The handheld console generation is dying in my point of view with the exception of one company and product, Nintendo with the 3DS.

 The masters of handheld consoles have yet again captured the public’s hearts after a more than shaky start with the 3DS. As much as the console is an evolution for gaming with the 3d technology, early sales suggested that it was due to falter. After releases of Mario Kart 7 and Super Mario 3D World as well as numerous Zelda titles, Nintendo was back on track as more and more 3DS’ were selling out. This is the major difference between the Vita and the 3DS, blockbuster game titles with Mario, Zelda and Star Fox. Mario and Zelda both have millions of fans who would buy any game that is released and not even how often a Mario or Zelda game is released, it will still receive great press and loved by the public. This is something I feel which Sony cannot replicate in fact, no-one can replicate. Mario is appealing to kids today and adults who grew up with him in the 80’s and 90’s. The charm of Nintendo is priceless which appeals to everyone. Even if you are a Sony or Microsoft “Fan-boy”, you can’t help but appreciate Nintendo’s continued success in the gaming market.

 The one thing I feel which the Vita has above any of its competitors, whether its Smart phone or 3DS, is the technology which is integrated in the system. The touch sensitive back seems to be the most impressive evolution of the handheld which the Vita offers. You can control the on screen action, without your fingertips getting in the way.

Kotaku explained how it will be implemented with Fifa 12:

"One of the features they can up with is touch-panel shooting, where you use the rear panel to aim and kick. When you tap, the ball goes to the spot that corresponds to wherever your fingertip is."

This is certainly something to look forward to because of all the touch screen gameplay and mechanics these days; it will be refreshing to feel as though you are controlling everything with your fingertips, without them getting in the way.

 Playstation 3 fans may be excited to hear that you can play PS3 games on your Vita as well. Although all in all the cost of a PS3 and Vita would be well in excess of £400. The powerful graphic system is produced by a Quad Core Power VR Graphics Processer. Most of the games too will be available to download as well as some larger sized titles being available to physically purchase. A neat system called “Near” will let you know if any of your friends are nearby and if so, you can challenge them to a game wirelessly.

 All in all, I feel as though the Playstation Vita has several promising features. The graphics, advanced controls and ability to play titles from its big brother. In a crowded market of portable gaming, I feel as though the Vita will have an initial buzz, or maybe when the price is dropped (similar to the 3DS). Although this buzz will be short lived and will go the same way as the PSP and other handhelds have gone before it. Another victory for the smart phones!