Simon Says: Why Microsoft Played a Masterstroke With One Aspect of the Xbox One

Midway through the Xbox One reveal, I began thinking to myself, “Is this it? I don’t want a Tivo box.” As the hour long presentation came closer to ending, I felt very (popular word on Twitter right now) underwhelmed by the whole event. I don’t use my games console to watch sports or TV, I only use it for games and occasionally movies. While the lack of game announcements may seem to have been part of a poor show from Microsoft, I believe they have got at least one thing over on Sony in light of what they did show.

Both FIFA and Call of Duty are amongst gaming’s elite. No matter if you hate COD for being the same as the previous title or you hate the connectivity functions in FIFA, they both sell in extraordinary numbers year after year. While the PS4 showed games such as Watchdogs and Killzone, Microsoft showed next to no gameplay of any games, it was all CGI based and didn’t give a proper insight into the graphical power of the Xbox One. While I do enjoy playing FIFA with my real-life friends, I’m not as enthusiastic about the game as much as others are. I haven’t owned a COD game since Black Ops and I wasn’t too bothered about the announcement but for many it was a crucial announcement.

The main reason I think Microsoft have performed a masterstroke with this announcement is because they have identified their market. In Britain, there are a high number of gamers who play nothing more than COD and FIFA all year round, it is all some people will play year-on-year. From September one year until September the next, they are happy to ‘Prestige’ an infinite amount of times and will happily pit their wits against anyone who is willing to on the virtual football pitch. The EA Sports Ignite engine looked to impress the gaming sports fans as it promised to have the ‘realistic’ feel to the sports games, which we have been promised every year since around 1996.

In addition to these two games however, the announcement of the dedicated number of servers will have some people desperate to own an Xbox One along with COD and FIFA as they are among the highest played online multiplayer titles.This would have been music to many gamer’s ears as they are constantly looking for a lag-free, online gaming experience.

The majority of games related people I follow on Twitter, like myself, seem to be disappointed with what Microsoft had on show. There wasn’t really any need for 20 minutes of being shown how to use the Kinect 2.0 and watch TV constantly, that’s what my TV is for! (This will be said by many until E3) People need to remember that this was an announcement to try and get one over on Sony and while I think the Sony announcement was better, I think Microsoft showed a lot of (although it’s sad to admit it) what young gamers and core gamers would like to see.

As news keeps on generating after the conference is finished, many will remember this conference for being inferior to that of the PS4’s announcement. This much is true but I do believe that one of the few good things that has come out of this for Microsoft was the seeming ‘exclusivity’ of FIFA 14 and Call of Duty: Ghosts. I was using this Xbox Reveal to determine which console I will purchase first but I think to ultimately decide, I will need to wait until E3 rolls around till I see what games each console has to offer. Other people should do the same and wait until they see what each console has to offer before writing off Microsoft. With some FIFA and Call of Duty exclusivity on offer, the Xbox One should still be a success.

@SimonMarshall6

Simon Says: The Last of Us Pre-Alpha Gameplay Review

The Last of Us isn’t your regular ‘run of the mill’ mindless survival horror game. It is a genre which we have progressively seen more of this generation with titles such as Dead Space, Silent Hill, Resident Evil and F.E.A.R keeping gamers on the edge of their seats and perilously clutching their controllers. Naughty Dog, developers of the critically-acclaimed Playstation exclusive Uncharted, has been the team behind The Last of Us. With the current generation of consoles coming close to being yesterday’s news, I was given the opportunity over the weekend to sample what could be the last great PS3 exclusive title at my local GAME store in a special lock-in event.

I had an opportunity to play through a specific part of The Last of Us for two hours and the section which was available to play was around 30-40 minutes long. Within that time, I was able to complete the section twice and speak with fellow gamers about how highly they are anticipating the game. One of the first points the Sony representative was keen to point out was that the game which I was playing was the pre-alpha version. This means that it wasn’t a fair reflection on the final version of the game. This version will not be the demo which is released later in the month with God of War: Ascension.

As most gamers who have had some experience of the Playstation 3, one of their first reactions to the look of The Last of Us will be that it is reminiscent of Uncharted, which certainly is not a bad thing. From the beginning to the end of the section which I played, everything was very dull as buildings were destroyed, the sky was grey and there wasn’t much light to be had. However, from gameplay trailers that have been released since the game was revealed, we can see that there is more to The Last of Us environment than just different scales of grey. Even in the pre-alpha version, the game looked beautiful.

Many who have been anticipating the game have been looking forward to the relationship between Joel and Ellie and see what part she plays in the outcome of the story. From the preview, there wasn’t anything in terms of the storyline and Ellie didn’t add much to the experience. Tess was an additional character which I didn’t expect to see. It turns out that Tess was in a relationship with Joel at one point but this in no longer the case. As I found she becomes a very useful ally as your ammunition runs low, she can also shoot the enemies too and this buys you some time to decide what to do next.

The enemies in the Last of Us, which I experienced, came in two types. First of all there is the infected. These former humans have suffered from a cordyceps-type virus and can end Joel’s life in one bite, which adds to the aspect of realism in the game. These enemies are easy to spot as they have large fungal growths sprouting from their heads and their senses mean that you either have to shoot their heads off or distract them and make your way around them. The other enemy which I encountered were the Runners. Runners aren’t as dangerous as the infected as you can fend them off with melee weapons and hand-to-hand combat which is satisfying when you finally send one to the floor after several punches. If the Runners gather in a group to attack you, it becomes difficult as they all look to beat you to death. You can escape these groups by holding in L2 and running for space in which to make your next move.

Joel’s movement feels very natural and there are some great features which you can use to your advantage. If you are unsure of what is up ahead, you can hold in R2 and this will show a shadow of all the enemies in the direction which you are looking so you can safely plan your next action. As well as this, you often find bricks and bottles to use to your advantage and for me, this is an excellent feature. There was one section which seen you, Tess and Ellie spotting an infected enemy and trying to get past it without being spotted. You can then pick up a bottle, throw it to the other end of the room to distract the infected while keeping your ammunition and avoid being killed. One section which I experienced had 4 runners and one infected vying for my life and I used the bricks and bottles to distract them. Once I had snuck past them, I had to open a door on a ledge which made a huge noise. This resulted in them all hearing me but I had managed to buy myself some time to react to this problem.

The main thing which hits home with The Last of Us is that you cannot mindlessly shoot the infected like in so many other survival horror games. Instead, you need to be reserved with your ammunition and conserve each bullet until you have no other option because you do not find supplies in vast amounts. The one game which I could compare the survival aspect of The Last of Us would be I Am Alive as supplies are so hard to come across and you need to make the most of everything which you find whether it’s scissors, tape and cloths. You are allowed to create medi-kits, melee weapons and Molotov cocktails anywhere by pressing select and R1. Enemies do drop some ammo but is usually 1 or 2 bullets at a time. Another way to take out the runners, if they are standing still with their heads down, is to sneak up behind them and press triangle followed by square to choke them to death. With so many ways to take on these monsters, there is always an aspect of excitement when confronted with these dangers and some of the features were impressive.

The Last of Us has left a great impression with me. I thoroughly enjoyed playing through the preview twice as the second was just as exciting as the first. The game looks great and although there wasn’t much to be had in terms of the story, I’m sure the game will have an exceptional storyline. Naughty Dog has had major success in the past with Uncharted and from what I have seen so far, this will be up there for game of the year. The only thing which could potentially hold it back would be the multiplayer aspect of the game, which I couldn’t play but I feel after playing a part of the campaign it isn’t needed. With a potential great storyline and excellent gameplay features, The Last of Us is certainly one to look forward to next month.

@SimonMarshall6

Simon Says - Beat-em-up Games Need a Change in Direction

Recently, my friends and I were having a discussion regarding the latest release from Warner Bros. Games, Injustice: Gods Among Us. We did agree that the game looked good and the character roster was very impressive but also agreed that fighting or beat-em-up games no longer have the same appeal as they used to. I’m sure I am not alone in thinking that fighting games aren’t as good as they once were due to numerous factors. In previous years, I would have queued outside for a fighting game but now I usually don’t bother buying them and I find this sad in all honesty.

Some of the first games I experienced were fighting titles. Whether it was playing on the Super Nintendo or original Game Boy, I loved playing fighting titles. I used to play Mortal Kombat 2 for hours on the original Game Boy and never got tired of seeing Sub Zero freezing an opponent then uppercutting him or saying, “Get over here!” as I reeled in my opponents as Scorpion. The game was so simple yet so effective. I never experienced any of the fatalities as I was so pre-occupied learning the character’s moves to win the battle. The same goes for Street Fighter II on the SNES, which I rank amongst my all-time favourite games.

This was back in the mid-90’s however and gaming has changed a lot since then. After expanding my gaming horizon with titles such as Resident Evil, FIFA, Metal Gear Solid and Tomb Raider to name but a few, fighting games seemed to be lost among the more intricate, story-driven titles and hadn’t played many fighting games until I decided to buy Street Fighter IV for the Xbox 360. The reason I decided to buy the game was due to the critic’s reaction to the game and hoping to find the same magic here as I did with SFII. To begin with I did and everything was great.

After a week or two though, I soon realised that there were so many characters to play as and if you wanted to only play the game part-time, then you were in serious trouble. When I tried to play the game online, I was defeated no problem, I did win a few however, but the beauty and simplicity of SFII was lost for me and has been that has been the case ever since. I also invested in the reboot of Mortal Kombat for the Xbox which lasted around the same amount of time as SFIV.

This is my problem with fighting games these days, the amount of characters you can choose from is ridiculous combined with a lack of story makes each playthrough feel the same. In recent times, we have been spoiled in terms of storytelling and the beat-em-up genre is finding itself in the dark ages when it comes to a compelling story. In both SFIV and MK, I couldn’t tell you the story of any of my favourite fighters. The poor story modes as well as a huge roster makes for bad news and a very short experience for gamers who don’t play fighting games competitively.

Many people will enjoy playing these games with their fighting sticks as they learn each and every move as they will have done in arcades over the years. But for gamers, such as myself, who enjoy various genres of games the fighting titles these days do not seem appealing at all. If fighting games had more to offer than just a large number of characters. The simplicity of the early Street Fighter and Mortal Kombat games was that there wasn’t much to choose from but there wasn’t anything as addictive on the market at the time as well. It is a sad thought for me to ponder over because I believe that Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, Sub Zero, Reptile and Johnny Cage all have something still to offer. It’s just that there is next to no replay value in the game.

After playing the demo for Injustice I thought it had great features such as the interactive environments and the game does feature a brilliant character list. If I bought the game however, I wouldn’t be able to play it for more than a month, probably. I just know there was a time where the sounds of ‘JAPAN’ and ‘FIGHT!’ would ring true with me and I still get excited hearing these sounds to this day. The only sort of fighting game I have played recently or still play are the WWE games. If traditional beat-em-up games had a similar charm of the WWE titles then far more people would be able to play them on a regular basis as no two matches are the same. An interactive story mode for SF or MK would be brilliant and let the player feel as though they were in control instead of Ryu constantly saying “In the heat of battle.” Although Injustice has just been released, I’ll be sticking with WWE 13.

@SimonMarshall6

Simon Says: Why the Wii U Will be Insignificant Come Fall (2013)

With the Wii U being on sale for the past 6 months, the console has never really seemed to have the gaming community wanting one more than their next breath. In all honesty, the games which have been released are typical of Nintendo with the releases of several Mario games, party titles and older games which have only just been released for the Wii U. Surely everyone wants to play something fresh and not something which most people have played such as Deus Ex: Human Revolutions? This is one of the several reasons why I believe that the Wii U will continue to struggle as well as the impending releases of the PS4 and next-gen Xbox.

One of the main issues for me with Nintendo is often the lack of variety in their games, they tend to stick to their guns and re-use the same recipe which has brought them success in the past. Whenever there is a new console released, you can always count on the same titles being released at one point or another such as Super Mario, Mario Kart, Zelda, dancing and fitness games which have been more common in the more recent Wii console. While you can always count on Microsoft releasing Halo, Forza and Gears of War and Sony releasing Uncharted, God of War and Killzone, Nintendo has been releasing the same games for numerous years, beside the fitness games which feel as though they already belong in the past. Recently, the only game to come out for the Wii U which has seemed to have any impact is Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate which is also available for the 3DS. The key point here is that many people already own a 3DS so why would they buy a new console when they can play it on a console they already own?

A point I made in the introduction, the delay in games being released for the Wii U not only hurts sales for the console but also its reputation. With games such as Deus Ex: HR, 007 Legends and Darksiders II it seems as though the console seems to be an afterthought. Some of these games were good when they were released and may be good to go back and replay them once in a while but these are no reasons to buy the console. Aside from Bayonetta 2, which will be pivotal for the future of the console, the Wii U doesn’t seem to have many exciting titles on the way. A series such as Metroid Prime would be excellent for the Wii U and refreshing as it’s not as used and abused unlike other Nintendo exclusive games.

When the original Wii was released, it was a revelation in gaming. The motion controls and the simplicity of the games were beautiful. Even games which had been redesigned for the Wii added an extra layer to the game, Resident Evil 4 being the perfect example. It was very simple for anyone to pick up the nun-chuck and become fully immersed in the game as it was so simple, hence why it was a monumental success. The Wii U gamepad doesn’t seem to have the same impact as its predecessors as it feels as though you are playing on a tablet computer rather than a games console. These days, touch screens seem to be everywhere with smart phones, tablets and other gadgets all featuring commands from your fingertips. Although the Wii U does embrace the touch screen, it seems to take the gamer away from immersed in front of their television or monitor anxiously gripping on their controller.

With the PS3 and Xbox 360 following the route which the Wii took, in regards to motion controls, you knew that the Wii was always going to be superior as the console was designed with this in mind and not altered to feature a camera or two landing signals for an aeroplane. While the PS4 and next-gen Xbox will be continuing with these motion controls, they leave themselves in a good position as they will (probably) be continuing the motion controls similarly to the way in which they used them in the previous generation.

For me, Nintendo consoles have never been aimed at hardcore gamers which many people consider themselves these days. Judging by many people’s experiences with the Wii, you would say that the original Wii was good for party and childish games. With the Wii selling in such huge numbers, many people may be put off by the Wii U’s price tag when not much has changed from the previous version.

To be honest, I think that the Wii-U was doomed even before it was released. With numerous rumours saying that the Wii U was at the same level as the PS3 and Xbox 360 butthese rumours were later quashed. The appeal for many Xbox 360 and PS3 owners would have been lost year in which would be a crucial year in the gaming calendar, from the console’s release at the end of November to the end of November 2013. Why would anyone want to buy a console which is already behind the last generation of consoles? It makes little or no sense to me. In order to make the system sell, Nintendo need a larger variety of games to offer, games that Microsoft, Sony or anything produced on Steam can produce. A game such as Mario Galaxy 3 would be crucial for Wii U sales as the first two games were so full of life. As for games coming onto the horizon, I know I’ll be keeping my money for the PS4 and the next Xbox.

@SimonMarshall6

Simon Says: Current Generation Saves It's Best Year Until Last

I have seen on Twitter recently that people have been discussing what year was the best year in the games industry. British retailer GAME decided to find out which year was most popular by running a poll to 2000 of the company’s customers. It turned out that 1996 won the poll by 1% with the release of the Playstation and N64 seeming to be defining moments to the gaming community. In the top 5 gaming years in the poll, there was not one year recognised after 2002. This got me thinking, why is this? Many consider this current generation of consoles to be one of the best of all-time as it has so much variety and although it hasn’t been a smooth journey, gaming has evolved so much. If we consider gaming from 2005, I firmly believe that the games which are due out this year mean that the best year of this current generation has been saved until last.

Of course everyone is entitled to their opinion but I believe that the quality of games which have been released and are due to be released this year is the highest quality which the ‘red ring of death’ generation has ever known. You may be thinking that game developers will have one eye on the future of gaming with the PS4, the next Xbox console, the OUYA and Steam Box. This would be fair enough to believe but the games which have been released and have yet to be released this year shapes 2013 to be the perfect swansong to these excellent years I have spent falling in love with gaming.

With the year almost a quarter of the way through, we have already been treated to some tremendous gaming achievements, most notably two games that I wasn’t even going to buy. Bioshock Infinite and Tomb Raider have taken the gaming world by storm and have both received rave reviews from critics and gamers alike, with Bioshock Infinite receiving higher praise.

When a review embargo is lifted, I am always intrigued to see what a game scored and see if the game is worthwhile buying, wait for it to go on sale or ignore it completely. When I saw the first review scores for Tomb Raider I decided I had to get the game and the same applies to Bioshock Infinite. At a time of year where the ‘best of the rest’ games are normally released, two phenomenal titles have been released in quick succession. These are two games which don’t rely on annual releases and both have their own style, although they can be compared to some, which have impressed the gaming community at large.

As well as these two powerhouse games, there have been several good titles to be released so far this year. Games such as Gears of War: Judgment, Dead Space 3, Ni No Kuni, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance and Devil May Cry have proven popular with gamers with some of these being adored by fans and critics alike. It seems as though before we move onto the next stage in gaming, these games are determined to give us some great memories to part with as most of us move on to the future of gaming. With 6 months remaining until the start of fall, the season when the PS4 is due to be released, there is plenty of life left in the old dogs yet.

As we have known for some time, Grand Theft Auto V will be the biggest gaming release of the year. Like the highly anticipated blockbuster movie, everyone will be desperate to experience Rockstar’s latest sandbox title and we will no doubt be seeing more from GTAV on the horizon leading up to September. With the number of fans Rockstar has, the fresh feel of the games and their attention to detail means that Rockstar will no doubt have another hit game on their hands.

On top of GTAV, there will be many more games revealed come E3 in June but of the games already confirmed, it looks like my opinion on the best year of the current-gen could come true. Games which have shown early promise such as the promising and ‘out of the ordinary’ survival game The Last of Us, Capcom’s exciting and futuristic Remember Me and the finest characters from the DC universe will be fighting in Injustice: Gods Among Us have all still to be released. These games are all new intellectual properties and will hopefully provide some ideas in the games which we have yet to have seen before. As well as these new IPs, several sequels have still to be released including the recently revealed Metal Gear Solid 5, Assassin’s Creed IV, Metro: Last Light, Splinter Cell: Blacklist, Grid 2 and the follow up to the well-renowned Telltale Games title, The Walking Dead.

Some of you may be reading this and thinking ‘Most of these games he is talking about aren’t even out yet, how does he know if they will be good or not?’ The truth is I don’t know if these games will be any good, all I am saying is that the early signs are very promising and if the games are even half as good as they have looked in trailers and gameplay demos, then 2013 will be a great year for games, even excluding the PS4, Xbox Durango/720 and the other consoles which have still to be released.

This generation of console gaming will be remembered for creating great gaming franchises such as Gears of War, Dead Space, Uncharted and Saints Row to name but a few. As well as the great times, many will unfortunately remember the Xbox’s ‘red ring of death’ and the PS3’s ‘yellow light of death’ and I believe that is another reason why this year will be a great swansong for these two consoles. Every wrong has seemed to be righted with both consoles as many gamers now own an updated PS3 or Xbox 360. There is no need to worry if your Bioshock Infinite game did actually save or if you play your Xbox all day that it won’t overheat. Right now, everything is as good as it has ever been as far as the PS3 and Xbox 360 are concerned and it seems that the games are also looking to be the best they have ever been in the year before we experience the coming of a new age.

@SimonMarshall6

Simon Says: Bring Back the Dinosaurs!

For as long as everyone has loved games, they have loved shooting at things. Aliens, soldiers, monsters, robots and zombies are just some of the most common foes you will encounter in the popular third-person or first-person shooters. While some games do stand out from the crowd more than others, I think it’s time to reintroduce enemies who can be as scary as any of those I have listed above and is something which is a rarity these days. With the next generation on the horizon, I believe it is time to reintroduce the classic dinosaur enemies.

I’m sure the majority of people would have had some experience of playing with dinosaurs when they were younger. There was always something so enjoyable about pretending that you were in control of real prehistoric killers while playing with your toy dinosaurs, crashing them into one another like you were making them fight and making the “RARRR!” noises while doing it. Gaming has attempted to implement the idea of dinosaur enemies throughout the years with games like Turok and numerous Jurassic Park titles, including a very recent title from Telltale Games. For me, and many others, I’m sure there can only be one true series that can be considered a prehistoric success and that is Dino Crisis.

At the time, one of the main titles for the PSone was the Resident Evil series and Dino Crisis was made by RE’s creators, Capcom. After watching Jurassic Park as a youngster and loving every minute of it, Dino Crisis allowed me to take on the fascinating dinosaurs in my own way, usually with a pistol. The story wasn’t enthralling but the gameplay and concept more than made up for this. The dinosaurs were amazing creatures that were both terrifying and exciting at the same time, the experience was terrific! It was the same for Dino Crisis 2 the sequel picked up from where the first game finished in terms of quality. I believe that the time has come for dinosaurs to be main enemies once again.

Not like this.

Of course there have been some poor games throughout the years since Dino Crisis including the recent Turok reboot and the Dino Crisis 3 game for the original Xbox which should be erased from history. Enough time has passed since these games were released and the same old enemies are getting tiresome these days. How much better would a game such as Far Cry 3, which is extremely good as it is, or Borderlands 2 if they were to include dinosaurs to some extent? It has been made well aware that Far Cry 3 would be the perfect setting for a Jurassic Park game and imagine taking on a Tyrannosaurus Rex with your friends in 4 player co-op. It would be an experience like no other and more exciting than the typical Lost Planet ‘boss battle’.

Although the recent trends of HD releases have seemed popular with many gamers, I think if a game such as Dino Crisis were to be released in HD, it wouldn’t show the game at it’s finest to the younger gamers. When Resident Evil: Code Veronica X was released in HD two years ago it showed that classic games sometimes aren’t as good as they seemed at the time as graphics and camera angles have moved on since the game’s original release. With the recent successful reboot of Tomb Raider, it seems that with enough time and effort, tired ideas can seem fresh and almost revolutionary.

Far Cry 3 would provide the perfect setting.

As well as being tired by facing the same soldiers or zombies, I would like to see these prehistoric monsters be given a chance in a modern day survival horror. Telltale’s Jurassic Park was a mediocre effort but something with more action would be sensational! With dinosaurs being such fascinating yet terrifying creatures, they are the perfect enemies for a third or first person shooter. With a new director being named for Jurassic Park 4, the near future could be the perfect time to release a new dinosaur based game. Hopefully it won’t be too long before I am playing a game which makes me feel 5 again. All this dinosaur talk makes me want to look out the PSone and get back into the danger zone with Regina.

@SimonMarshall6

AFFORDABLE GAMES ON DEMAND… PLEASE?!

As the high street continues to crumble, gaming on the high street is no exception to the problem which faces high street retailers these days. Over the past year, three of the biggest high street names in gaming and entertainment, GAME, HMV and Blockbuster, have filed for administration and two have been saved as a result(HMV & GAME). With consumers unwilling to part with their cash to the seemingly more expensive high street, supermarkets and online business are thriving with the high street’s downfall. I believe that developers and the major gaming companies can make it easier for gamers to get their thrill.

Games on Demand via Xbox Live, for example, is not a well-respected source to buy games from. The games are available to download months after the game is officially released via retail and charges the game at full or close to full RRP, although the time scales are getting better. Why can’t the latest titles be available to download as soon as they are available from retail? With the dramatic fall in retail sales, why hasn’t someone had the great idea to reduce the price of these games and have them delivered straight to your console? The cost of producing the game will be reduced due to the number of physical discs being reduced as well as cases and the near-extinct manuals.

I am sure, sadly, that eventually both GAME and HMV will encounter problems once again and as we move onto the next generation of gaming. Downloading games straight to your console at a sensible price will have to happen eventually and should come sooner rather than later.

Steam have always seemed to do things right with their pricing and that is partly the reason why so many gamers are dusting off their gaming PCs and returning to desktop gaming. Their never-ending sales have captured the attention of many gamers as they can have just as much fun on their PC, for much less than they can on a console. With the ‘Piston’ revealed recently, Valve will soon be taking the theory of PC gaming to our TV screens and this could spell danger to Nintendo, Sony and Microsoft.

With the Xbox 360 being my main source of gaming, the deals via Games on Demand are few and far between. I can understand why many are being persuaded by PC gaming’s excellent pricing and great variety of games. This combined with the downfall of high street gaming, the major companies need to act fast and make games available to download as soon as they are released and for affordable prices too. If not for this generation, then the next one at least!

@SimonMarshall6