GTAV? Really..?

   Now, for this next one I be attracting a whole lot of rage if anyone is actually reading these posts or this blog altogether, but I promise I'll justify my reasoning. So just hear me out before you go biting my head off just because you saw the title.
   Recently, the company Rockstar released the highly-anticipated sequel to Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto V. Now this title was anticipated, but not many people knew how much. Because, contrary to the most popular game this year until that time "The Last Of Us", nobody really knew much about GTAV's capabilities and what the player could do in-game.
   Seriously, the game gives the player incredible freedom and flexibility. From taking a selfie with your cell-phone on the beach, to high-jacking the Air Force One right out of the U.S.'s military airbase, there's simply nothing you cannot do in the city of Los Santos!

   But even considering all of it's amazing capabilities, it's creators wanted to create a game that shoves our world down our throats. They have, from trailer one, shown explicit material including (but not restricted to) cursing, bribing, drug-dealing and using, abuse of women, car theft of course and an extremely high amount of violence just as extra topping.
   And, despite the wide array of selection the game gives you on freedom, it seems people seem to focus on all of the things that they cannot do in the outside world. Things like hiring a prostitute, doing her and then beating her up so that you could get your money back of her unconcious body. Funny, eh? Or going to the nearest highway, holding some poor driver at gun point, only so that you could steal his car and drive it into some fence (having run over about as many people as possible in the process because hey, it's fun!), until eventually you get "busted!" by the cops or just shot to death. Or just shooting someone in the head cause he dared to stand in the way of your selfie. Just take a before and after shot.

   All of these things are in a video game, so they're harmless, right? Well, considering this video game is inspired by the real world and everyday crime, I wouldn't consider them that harmless. And it's funny that the things players tend to do more often in this game are the things that are illegal. And it's also very funny (in a disturbing way) that this, a game where all death, stealing, drug abuse and prostitution have lost all meaning, is now the most high-selling game of all time.
   Do parents let their kids play this? Because this is still considered a video "game" and games are meant to be for children. Plus there's also the fact that no matter how hard you try to tell a child not to do something, he will still want to do it. So are the parents protecting the next generation from this sort of influence, or are they simply the receivers of role models that will lead to more school shootings?

   It's tragic to think that some people came together and thought "Hey, lets make a game about all the bad stuff in the world today!" and that game ended up selling the most everywhere. Says a lot about who we are...  

First online gaming experience.

  Happy October to all. Considering I have not written anything in this blog for quite a while, this is a good excuse to begin spamming it with articles of different variety. I have received quite a few incentives from my surroundings so I might as well make use of them. Here goes...
   The first article I would like to post has to do with my first experience inside a MMORPG (massive multiplayer online role playing game). Despite my initial hesitations, I recently purchased Square-Enix's updated version of Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn. I was hesitant simply because I know what kind of player I am, and that having other people join in would only ruin my experience. I changed my mind because of the beauty of the game (both graphics and music are off the charts), the story behind it (which is always a big plus for me, especially in Final Fantasy games) and the fact that I was able to actually try the game before making any decision of buying it (since I applied for one of the beta testing stages and Square-Enix gracefully accepted my request).
   So, despite my hesitations, I purchased the game. But, the first thing I noticed was that I wasn't really all that anxious for it. Like, even now, there are games that I can't wait to get my hands on, like South Park: The Stick Of Truth or Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII. But this wasn't the case with XIV: ARR. Despite all it's problems at launch (they had to delay it since they weren't expecting such an overwhelming amount of people so people couldn't log in for about two weeks), I noticed I wasn't missing it. That wasn't a good sign. 

   Eventually I signed in, restored my character from the betas (if you must know I'm a paladin/blacksmith that goes by the name of Alexander Holyknight) and I continued where I had left off. I got addicted to it, I must admit. But the repetitiveness of this game was oh, so tiresome! Every time I moved to a new location on my map I immediately knew before hand that I would have to do quests in order to gain exp (experience points). And, the more you raise your level, the more experience points you need in order to raise it again. So basically what that means is just more of those quests. Over and over again it was the same thing. Go here, do missions, go there, do missions... I would not have minded it so much, but the missions weren't really relative to what was going on with the game's story, which was all that kept me going all the way to level 50.
   And then there were the dungeons... Sometimes, during the story's progress, you would have to enter these special areas called "dungeons". The thing is, you weren't allowed to enter by yourself. You had to choose the specific dungeon you wanted to go in to from you Start menu, under the Duty Finder sub-command.  This Duty Finder would then pit you up with 3 or 7 (depending the dungeon) total strangers, and you would all have to finish the dungeon together. This was the worst part of the game for me. Not knowing who I am playing with. And, because I am new at the genre, I didn't really understand my role in the group. So it's easy to imagine what was going on. From slander to people just giving up right in the middle of the game. Trying to play with strangers ends up ruining the experience for everyone.

   Anyway, after clearing the game I felt like a big weight had been lifted off me, instead of how much fun I had or what a great story I saw (actually that's only partially true since there were some tidbits at the story's end that had me thinking that I might return to the game, but nah). I will definitely not be renewing my subscription to this tiresome game. While it was new and fresh, the game seemed like a great experience. But it got old very quickly. And it's storyline was weak. The only thing I'll keep from it was it's extraordinary scenery. So, in conclusion, they may have tried their best to save it (and considering some current numbers, they may have succeeded), but for me, 14 will always be a failed number in Final Fantasy history. On to XV!

Haters gonna keep hatin'!

   Hey! I know it's been a long time, but better late than never, right? Life keeps moving at the speed of light and all of a sudden you realize, it's been almost a month since you posted anything in your own blog! Things happen, I actually have a job now so that keeps me busy, but still, it's always good to have this lil' place where I can share my thoughts with the rest of the world. Now I know I really turned my geek on last month so I'm gonna switch tunes this time and talk about something a bit different. A bit more "old-school me", if you will.
   I've been spending a lot of time on the net lately and, like everyone, I've been on forums. And most forums I've been in, whether it's to discuss a video-game (ok, that's all the geek you're gonna get, I promise!), or an episode of my favorite show or any show, or something that has to do with the soccer team I support, it's the same thing: angry, one-sentence comments, full of rage and no justification. It's like everyone in the world is mad about everything, so they just take it out on whatever they can find!
   And even when they have something good to say, it's never actually good. It's more like "Aww, hellz yeah!! This'll pawn all other gamz cause this is like, actually bearable!!!". More angry attacks at other things. And, yes I know that the ones making these comments or remarks are probably 13-year-old kids that shouldn't even be taken seriously. But then again, it's hard not to when they're literally in every single forum or youtube comment section! Laughing at these comments is an option, I guess.
   Then there's the people that try to actually justify their bad remarks. These people are a special type of vicious! The world is not good enough for them and never will be and they can sit there and analyze it for you in every single detail. And if you attempt to make a civil discussion with these people, the most likely outcome will be your fist through the wall out of sheer irritation. 
   I'm not one to criticize others. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, of course. It's just that, it seems there's so much judgement going around these days! Everything's become so easy and so next-gen, that we've forgotten how to be fascinated or enthused or amazed. It's like we just automatically expect things and when they don't meet our grand expectations, we are ready to dismiss them. No, worse than that. It's like we're waiting for them not to meet our expectations in order to dismiss them!
   As a person who likes to dwell even deeper within behaviors, I think to myself "Where does all this judgement and negativity towards everything come from?". And up until now the only answer I can come up with is that these people have obviously been dealing with judgement themselves for a long time now. From the outside world, from the people close to them, heck, even themselves! Maybe they were judged themselves heavily and so they've grown to expect nothing but greatness from everything around them!
   We judge and are judged everyday. By our co-workers, our friends, our teachers, our families... And sometimes, the judgement we receive can be nothing but harsh. So it's easy to just give up and be mad at all those who look down on us. So, apparently, that's why there's so many angry people behind keyboards nowadays that are ready to jump the gun at anything that needs constructive criticism instead of taking a big hard look in the mirror. It's always easier when you're the one passing judgement.

How Sony won E3...

   So, I said I would post an article about the happenings at the E3 press conference. This specific event should get as much attention as possible, since it's the one that leads us into the next generation of consoles. The Xbox One, the PlayStation 4 and the Wii U. These are the names of the machines that will take a place in almost every single living room. But in what analogy? Knowing the financial situation the common household is in, most people will only be able to purchase one of these technological wonders. So, which one? People before E3 really did have that dilemma. What to buy? They were hoping the conference would lead them into an easier choice.
   The day before E3 2013 opened it's doors to the public, four press conferences had been scheduled. Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft and Sony in succession were programmed to reveal their plans for the season and what they would be showing off to the lucky ones that attended.

   Microsoft took the stage first. People had been skeptical about MS's Xbox One since they announced their used game and game-sharing policies. Also, MS hadn't really shown a lot of game titles in their May reveal of the Xbox One. So, this time their plan was to come out guns blazing. They showed off a bunch of game trailers for both Xbox 360 and Xbox One, one after another in an attempt to make everyone forget about what had happened back in the opening presentation. And it worked... almost. Just before the curtain closed after a marvelous presentation of games (which opened with Metal Gear Solid V including Kiefer Sutherland as Solid Snake), they announced the price: 499$. Sighs of disappointment were heard all around the screening room.
   500$ is a bit too much to ask nowadays just for a gaming console, but Microsft took into account the fact that the Xbox One is not just a gaming console, but a movie streamer, a web-chatting device and much more. It's capabilities justify it's price but (in this humble writers opinion) Microsoft forgot about their target audience.

   Then, after the EA and Ubisoft presentations (which included a hilarious South Park video, among other impressing games and trailers), along came Sony. Sony's presentation was similar to Microsoft's in the account that it was full of new game trailers. But, those trailers weren't all about the PS4. Sony dedicated half an hour of their 2 hour presentation talking about the PS Vita and the PS3. They showed that just because the PS4 is going to be released, that doesn't mean that the previous generation will be getting any less attention from them. 
   Then came the PS4. It's reveal was impressive. Small, elegant and easy to carry or place, I don't think this PlayStation will be getting another edition (like the PS3 slim). It doesn't need it! And then along came the trailers. There were trailers for all traits and even the jaw-dropping Kingdom Hearts 3, which is in development. But Sony's victory came afterwards. 
   Just before the end, a Sony representative came on stage for what most thought would be the closing statements. He didn't do that. Instead, he decided to take a DIRECT SHOT at Microsoft's policies. He stated that the PS4 does NOT need to update once everyday and thus is useable even without internet connection, he said that players can SHARE GAMES without restrictions and finally he announced that the PS4's price will be at 399$! Sony's mockery of Microsoft did not stop there though, as they even went as far as to create a Youtube video about how players can "share the games on the PS4".

   That was the game-clincher! After that, Nintendo's pre-recorder broadcast was almost rendered useless. Everyone had made up their mind! After the conference, all you would see in the forums was "Yup! Definitely going with Sony!". And even though players of the younger ages might choose to go with the Wii U and the 3DS is the go-to for the handheld market because of the wide variety of games they offer, but in general the console war was a triumph for Sony.

 
   Microsoft actually gave Sony the chance they were looking for to make the PS4 shine even brighter. Microsoft as I mentioned earlier, forgot that their target audience was gamers. Those are the people that will run out and get the console. If someone other than that is looking for a device with the features the Xbox One offers, they could just as easily turn to a new-gen HD TV. Sony, on the other hand, remembered to make a console that had gamers as a target audience, and are trying to expand from that, with features like Netflix, Sony Pictures and Sony Music, and much more. Sony also had learned from their painful previous mistake with the pricing of the PS3, and so they put the cherry on the cake by making it available 100$ cheaper than the Xbox One.
   What happened after that? PS4's pre-orders have gone through the roof and according to a poll by IGN, 81% think Sony "won at E3".( http://uk.ign.com/articles/2013/06/15/who-is-winning-e3) So, there you have it! Apparently E3 did help people make up their minds as to which console they'll be going into the next generation with, and the PS4 (releasing at the end of the year) will be quite a popular trend next year!

Fantasy Reborn!

   Greetings, friends! During these early morning hours, I am posting this article while attending the last "Square-Enix Presents" live-stream from E3, Los Angeles. I mentioned in an earlier article that Square-Enix had a debt to pay to it's loyal fans, especially the eagerly anticipating, relentless Final Fantasy fan base. And boy, did they deliver! During Sony's PS4 presentation (I will make another article perhaps tomorrow about Sony's triumphant entry to the new era of consoles), Square-Enix was mysteriously absent for a while. Even though Sony did present quite a few new games for both the PlayStation 3 and the PlayStation Vita, there was hardly any mention of Square-Enix's titles (with the exception of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD being delivered to the PS Vita).
   Then Sony's spokesman began announcing future PlayStation 4 titles. And, near the end, Square-Enix's sign finally showed up on the big screen. It was a recorded message from the creator of Final Fantasy Versus XIII, Tetsuya Nomura, apologizing for the delay of information on the so-called title. And then, it appeared...

   Notice something strange at the end? Yes, what the internet had been on fire for weeks now has become official. Final Fantasy Versus XIII had claimed a mainline title. It has been reborn as XV. In an interview with "Square-Enix Presents" Tetsuya Nomura claimed that this name change occured when they heard about the next-gen consoles two years ago and decided to port the project there. FF XV will be available on both the PS4 and the XBox One, as announced by FF Brand Manager Shinji Hashimoto.
   Mr. Nomura also went on to say that we might not see only one FF XV. There may be sequels. And this is because of the fact that the world that he and his team are creating is so vast and the story they want to tell is so enticing, that they might not be able to fit it all into just one game. Though the method of these "sequels" has not yet come to his mind. He does not want long development times and has promised to end the "radio silence" on this game, delivering as much information as possible whenever it becomes available. The next showing of XV is scheduled to be at the Tokyo Game Show in September.
   And even though that was all from Nomura-san, the Final Fantasy brand still got a whole lotta love at this E3! Starting with Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII that was represented by a new trailer and a playable demo. Director Yoshinori Kitase and producer Motomu Toriyama also gave a lot of new info on the game, like the fact that Lightning will have more than 80 costumes (called schemata) available to her and that in the start of the game she will only have 7 days to save the world. The days can increase to 13 if the player completes certain quests.

   As for the other FF Kitase-san and Toriyama-san are making, FF X/X-2 HD, that too got the same treatment as Lightning Returns (via trailer and demo) and also they revealed that one new scene was added to the original content of X. Where that is, though, will be up to the players to find out. They added that the game is almost complete but they cannot reveal it's release date yet, as they wish to make some final "tweaks" to it.

Final Fantasy XIV: A Real Reborn has been Square-Enix's centre of attention. They've been really trying to get it out there, considering it releases this summer and all the work that's been put into it. They released a new trailer for it saying that it will also be available on the PS4 and during a "Live Letter With The Producer" Naoki "Yoshi-p" Yoshida shown on "Square-Enix Presents" (and that's actually still on-air while this article is being written), one new class, the Arcanist and two new jobs, the Summoner and Scholar were revealed. Nice!

   So, there you have it! A full line up (which, when combined with the news that Kingdom Hearts 3 is in development packs a pretty heavy punch!) of Final Fantasy games, ready to be delivered within the next 1,5 years at the most (rumor has it XV will be released a little after March 2014). Final Fantasy XV may have all the hype, but in no way are all the rest minor titles. XIV is perhaps the most highly anticipated MMORPG, X/X-2 HD has a lot of nostalgic fans eagerly waiting for it and Lightning Returns concludes the epic story of XIII. And considering where XIII-2 left off, I'd say there are many people that want to know how that ends! And with all that, I'd say Final Fantasy, that seemed pretty much a forgotten franchise at E3 2012, has been reborn!

  

All eyes here!

   Ok, so I spoke last time about what the three great gaming companies (Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft) are planning ahead of E3, but what about the games themselves? What are the titles that are going to steal the spotlight and make every gamer say "I am SO buying this on day one!" when they see the trailers? This E3 will be remembered for years to come not just for the reveal of the two new gaming consoles (XBox One, PS4), but for the great new games that are being created as we speak by a number of developers not just for the next generation, but to pay tribute to the end of the previous era. And they are doing a wonderful job, since there's going to be a plethora of titles to choose from. Let's take a look!
   Firstly, let's say that there's still a number of titles that will be for the XBox One that we still know nothing about. Microsoft announced during the opening presentation that there will be 15 new franchises specifically for this new machine. Amongst them will be the astonishing Quantum Dream, the racing car game Forza and of course the new addition to the Call Of Duty franchise titled Ghosts. All these and more will be revealed during E3.

   Nintendo also have their exclusive titles, like the highly anticipated Super Smash Bros Wii U, Mario Kart Wii U, Super Mario 3D, Yoshi Wii U, Game and Wario and also a lot of titles for their most successful handheld console, the 3DS. Amongst these games are the highly anticipated new addition to the Pokemon series, X/Y, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Mario Golf: World Tour and Yoshi's Island 3DS.

   Of course, apart from that there are third companies that are creating games, either specific for one console or for cross-console gaming. For example, EA Sports seem to be taking a liking to the XBox One and they will be showcasing their new technologies with the production of games such as: FIFA '14, NHL '14, Need For Speed: Rivals, NBA Live '14, Madden '25 and Battlefield 4. Then there are companies such as Ubisoft that create titles for consoles of both this generation and the next and also make a return to one of our favorite type of game styles: platforms. They'll be showcasing: Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, Rayman Legends, South Park: The Stick Of Truth, Splinter Cell: Blacklist and Watch Dogs.

   KONAMI, one could say, have been in a bit of a rivalry the past few years with EA over who has the greatest soccer game. This year will be no different, since they'll try to win soccer gamers of the world with their new PES 2014 game system. It will be joined on the show floor by: Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain and Castlevania Lords Of Shadow 2.

   Square-Enix have a debt to pay with their fans and they know it. Apart from the secret Final Fantasy title being developed for the PS4 that they announced back in February (but no one knows nothing about), they will be showcasing Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster, Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn, Thief, Murdered: Soul Suspect, Kingdom Hearts 1,5 HD Remix and Deux Ex: The Fall.

   SEGA's team will be showing off Sonic's new adventure titled Sonic: Lost World, a game exclusive to Nintendo consoles (Wii U & 3DS). Along with that they'll also be revealing: Castle Of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Total War: Rome 2.

   Sony's worldwide studios are active and will also be presenting their work. Among the titles they'll show are: Rain, Puppeteer, Beyond: Two Souls and Knack.

   If anyone thinks that the good old PC gamers will not be properly represented, they're gravely mistaken. A massive number of new titles are being developed alongside those for the new and old consoles. A few of those are: Black Guards, Goodbye Deponia, Memoria, The Night Of The Rabbit (all developed by Daedalic Entertainment), Black Gold (Snail Games), Civilization 5: Brave New World (Firaxis), Command & Conquer (Victory Games), Company Of Heroes 2 (Relic), DayZ Standalone (Bohemia Interactive), Divinity: Original Sin (Larian Studios), Elder Scrolls Online (ZeniMax), Lords Of The Fallen (Deck 13), Might & Magic X (Limbic), Rise Of The Triad (Apogee) and Wasteland 2 (inXile).
 

           
   Finally, there are companies being represented by one or two great games that are sure to make a bang. Amongst those games and developers are: Batman: Arkham Origins (Warner Bros Games Montreal), Bravely Default: Flying Fairy (Silicon Studios), Brothers: A Tale Of Two Sons (Starbreeze), Bayonetta 2 (Platinum Games), Destiny (Bungie), Diablo III (Blizzard), Disgaea: A Brighter Darkness (NIS), Disney Infinity (Avalanche Software), Dragon Age III: Inquisition (Bioware), Dragon's Crown (VanillaWare), DriveClub (Evolution Studios), Dynasty Warriors 8 (Omega Force), Gran Turismo 6 (Polyphony Games), Infamous: Second Son (Sucker Punch), Killer Is Dead (Grasshopper Manufacture), Killzone: Shadowfall/Mercenary (Guerilla), Saints Row 4 (Deep Silver), Sherlock Holmes: Crimes And Punishments (Frogware), Shin Megami Tensei IV/Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem (Atlus), Tales Of Xilia (Namco Bandai), The Last Of Us (Naughty Dog), Young Justice: Legacy (Warner Bros Ineractive) and many many more will be present at the E3 booths, ready to be tested by potential future players.

   So which games are of your liking? Are you one of those gamers that already knows what they want and can't wait to see it? Or are you looking forward to a new experience that'll carry you away to another world where you can lose yourself? Action games or RPG's? Sports games or shoot'em-ups? Driving games or war strategy simulators? Whatever you're looking for in gaming, this week is sure to give you something of it. The entire gaming world is about to change within the next week. The future is now! 

E (with the big) 3!!!

   Hi there everyone!! Sorry it's been so long since my last post, but life has it's way of keeping you busy and even though you have your mind set on one thing, you eventually end up doing something totally different. It's been about a month and a half since the last time I wrote and since then a lot has happened. Amongst everything, Microsoft unveiled their next generation console, the XBox One.The capabilities of this machine seem endless but it didn't really support a whole lot of first rat game titles. Since E3 is just around the corner (1 week), I thought it would be fun to do an article about what the 3 major gaming companies will bring to the table and how they'll try to convince us, the consumers, that their equipment is the best for the leap to the next generation of gaming.
   Let's begin with Microsoft. A lot of people were left disappointed with the presentation of the XBox One. At the end of it, it didn't seem like a gaming console at all, but like a high-tech TiVo! But there are people inside Microsoft saying very positively that they will have a lot to show at E3. At the presentation, Microsoft also announced 15 entirely new game franchises. This is what they will bring to the showroom. This is what they'll try and win people over with. Sure, there are gamers who like to stick to their franchises, but then again there's always the thrill of the unknown. This is what Microsoft is going to use to their advantage. New box, entirely new franchises (not to mention the die-hard Call of Duty fan boys), a whole new experience.

   Next is Sony. Sony hasn't shown us their box yet. I mean, we've all heard about what the PS4 can do, how to use it to interact with others, use the PS Network in new ways, all the new features, heck, we even saw the new DualShock 4! But we still haven't actually seen the PlayStation 4. That's what they'll try and dazzle us with. But they won't have to do much work, since they have a number of game developers working for them, trying as hard as they can to bring the best quality games to the PS4. And that's yet another card under Sony's sleeve. All the gamers' favorite franchises in sparkling new graphics. If after all that players still aren't lining up to buy the new games and console, I really don't know what will!

   What about Nintendo? Where to they fit in between the battle of the titans? Nintendo made a great move in choosing to not have a media conference at E3 this year (since the Wii U has already been released), but instead inform their customers of their new products through a Nintendo Direct live stream. That way it's as it says: more direct. Nintendo always had and always will have it's loyal fan base. With new and improved titles like Mario Kart Wii U, Sonic: Lost World, Super Mario 3D Wii U, Super Smash Bros 4, and other highly anticipated titles (not only for the Wii U, but for the most popular handheld gaming console, the 3DS), Nintendo always knows how to make a big impression.

   Next week promises to be huge for the gaming industry. The companies are doing their best to deliver not just just entertainment systems, but machines that can do everything for us. From recording our favorite show to making a video call to our long-lost cousin who lives half way around the world, all with just the use of words. But at the end of the day, it's up to the consumer to decide what he really wants. Let the games begin!!