5 Stunning Revelations About Modern Video Gaming
"WHY'S SONY GET TO BE IN THE MIDDLE?!"
Fact, speculation, blatant lies...there's a lot of uncertainty when it comes to the video gaming world. Frankly, video game reporting sucks...and that's not a jab at the reporters who do it. With all the unforeseen "delays", half truths, and basically PR fluff news that gets driven out on a daily basis, it can be distracting to the fact that no one actually knows what the hell they are talking about regarding anything!
Luckily I've composed some "truths" (at least they have references) that you can hold onto that will give you a better grip on some reality in the gaming world...enjoy.
1. Nintendo is not going anywhere...despite what everyone wants you to believe.
You doubt me bro? Go ahead and look up the top selling console in the US right now...how about Europe? That's right it's the Nintendo DS lookin all sexy with it's primitive looking graphics and no Xbox live...granted before that there was a brief stint for the 360, which was preceded by a two year reign by the Nintendo Wii.
Why does this matter?: When you're selling record setting consoles...it makes little to no sense whatsoever to leave the video gaming world and stay on as a developer like most "experts" predict...ignore the Doomsday Nintendo articles...they mean nothing.
2. You're Wii/PS3/Xbox360 will not last as long as your Sega Genesis/SNES.
I laugh (like a dolphin) when video game analyst talk about the lifespan in market terms for today's consoles when to date i've had...3 friends with broken PS3 harddrives...4 friends that are on their second Xbox 360...and my 1st gen Wii will no longer play discs unless it's slightly tilted to the side. On the other hand, I just recently played a first gen SNES for three hours red-ring free and without even having to blow in the cartridge! Unfortunately, CD drives are rough to maintain and are easily ruined...thus making their shelf life much less beastly than their great grandfathers...
Why does this matter?: The days of nostalgia in the future of gaming will have to live on primarily through digital downloads on newer consoles...which means you will have to rebuy all your beloved games as opposed to dusting off the old box in the closet...which sucks really.
3. DLC's cost wayyyyyyyyyyy too much money.
If you bought Halo Reach when it first came out...you paid at least $49.99 (depending on sales tax etc)...if you bought the two map packs you spent 800 Microsoft points (10 bucks) on each respectively. This bumps the price up to nearly $70 dollars for around 18 (generous number due to many levels being Forge edited) multiplayer maps. Let's not even get into WoW where if you are up to date on all your expansions you've paid at least a hundo already. How about Marvel vs. Capcom 3 developers who decided to preload all their DLC into the game coding then slowly charged for every new character released? It's is in it's highest form...extortion. It needs to stop.
Why does this matter?: DLC's are meant to enhance gaming and add new excitement and adventure to a game you love...but more often than not developers are now just putting less depth into games so they can hit you with another 10 dollar charge when the "Mountain Dew Game Fuel" bucket runneth dry. Remember the days when fighting games had over 50 characters and you didn't pay extra? Let's get back to that.
4. Gamefly and Onlive will become the Netflix of Video Gaming.
No I didn't get paid to say this...although it would be nice. Now that movie stores are going under, it only makes sense that gamers will have to go elsewhere when they rent video games. Gamefly works basically the same as Netflix in that you can use a mailing service to get games you wanna play, then send them back when you are done. Onlive is a bit of a wild card because it comes with it's own gaming system but allows you to stream new games from over the web and play them instantly.
Why does this matter?: Onlive is a big deal for one very intriguing reason. It allows you to play third party titles without using a first party system...which means you can play some of the biggest games of the year without having a Xbox, Nintendo, or Sony system...and that's something that I'm sure will become a hot button issue in the future.
5. You never found out what all those achievement points were for...
I wanna make a stand right now that there should be no Achievements on next gen software until someone gives me a damn reason why they should be. Oh, I just did seven flips in a row after equipping my fishing rod?! Awesome that was worth 100G...A HUNDRED G FOR WHAT?! IT MAKES ZERO SENSE AND THERE IS NO POINT! MAKE IT WORTH SOMETHING OR REMOVE IT.
Why does this matter?: EXACTLY! ARRRRGGGH!
Just some things that bug me...feel free to comment below to tell me your gripes with the gaming world today...