Most Anticipated games of E3

I love E3 for more than just the Sony and Microsoft press conferences.  For me a lot of the multiplatform games really get me excited.  As a huge sports fan, being able to see some news about the upcoming titles from EA Sports and others gets me super excited and it also starts the wave of information we get before said sports games are released.  Not to mention developers like Ubisoft, Activision, and Bethesda can bring surprise announcements for games that look amazing.  This article will try and talk about the most anticipated games we know about as well as rumored titles that may surprise us.

·         NHL 15

o   The first next gen hockey game will hopefully bring more info including a full game play trailer with it to E3.  NHL 07 was a good game after skipping the first year of next gen, and hopefully it will be the same with NHL 15

·         Lord of the Rings: Shadow of Mordor

o   I am a huge fan of Lord of the Rings, and if this can bring any of the feeling that the game play in The Two Towers game had, I am all over this!  Here’s to getting a game play demo or two throughout the week.

·         Star Wars

o   Another epic franchise that has a few games in development.  Will we see the new battlefront?  Or how about the game Amy Hennig is working on?  Please give Star Wars fans something to look forward to away from the new movie.

·         The Last Guardian

o   Will we finally get a release date?!?!?!?!?  Seriously, this has to be it for the game, either announce the release date or just cancel it already!

·         Naughty Dog

o   We all know about Uncharted 4 already, but what about the second mystery game they are in pre-production on?  Will we get an actual game play trailer for Uncharted?  This should have every Sony fan super hyped about!

·         Sony First Party

o   There are at least seven Sony Developers working on next gen games that have yet to be announced.  What could developers like Sony bend, Media Molecule, and Sony Santa Monica be up to?  It is killing Sony fans all over!

·         Sequels

o   What games will have sequels announced at E3?  Mass Effect? Bio Shock? Killzone? Gears of War?

These are just a handful of possible games and titles that could be shown or announced at E3.  What are you looking forward to most?

The State of PlayStation Pre-E3

E3 is only a few days away and rumors are already buzzing.  This time last year was exciting as both Sony and Microsoft were announcing new gaming systems and the wait was soon to be over for people clamoring for something new.  Then E3 came and both Sony and Microsoft came out of E3 in completely different positions.  Sony killed the press conference and gained momentum that would lead to it being the number one next gen console by a landslide.  While Microsoft nearly killed themselves with a horrible showing that only told Xbox fans that they were not being listened to.  Microsoft of course changed a lot of the policies that had gamer's most angry, but the damage was done.

Fast forward to today and both systems are actually quite healthy, but the PS4 is that much more ahead, a few million to be more precise.  Everyone saw what E3 did to both Sony and Microsoft and thus all eyes are back on E3 to see if Sony can repeat, and if Microsoft can be redeemed.

With the PS4 still selling like hot cakes, it is interesting to look at why that might be, and whether it can sustain the huge lead that it already has.  Currently it seems as though the PS4 continues to sell solely based on word of mouth, the scarcity of the system, and overall value, but this can only sustain sales for so long.  The big system seller is of course the games.  Neither system has had a string of games that have screamed buy this system, but have mostly had decent games that owners of the system have liked rather than loved.  Infamous was a good game as far as appearances went, but the linear game play and story held it back from truly being titled a system seller.  Same goes for Microsoft and Titanfall, which also released on Xbox 360 and PC.  Again, it was a good game, but the fact that it was not Xbox One only hurt the system and the possible crowd it could have got to upgrade just for the game.  Besides these two games that were once labeled as system sellers before their release, both systems have kept pretty even with releases.

The only other thing the PS4 has had going for it has been the levels that it has been able to play multiplatform games compared to the Xbox.  Most multiplatform games play either the same or better on PS4 than they do on Xbox, which has led to PS4 having better numbers in sales regarding those multiplatform games.  

All of these things have contributed to the PS4’s lead, but that lead will not continue unless the PS4 is able to bring some excitement going forward about games that are coming in the near future.  The same goes for Microsoft and the ability to build back their momentum with some good game announcements.  All eyes will be on E3 come next week, and it will definitely be a good one for gamer's a like.

Catching up on Some Gaming

I have really been meaning to get going with this blog more frequently.  My goal now is to have at least one article per day Monday through Friday.  Now this doesn't mean I won’t post more if the moment is right (I.E. Reviews, breaking news, and random musings).  So to begin I thought I would do a quick recap of my current gaming situation, which in a very short period of time I have actually acquired quite a backlog.  Thanks to a re-acquisition of a PS3, and the always amazing PS Plus I have quite a few games in the pipeline.  I have recently platinum’d NCAA 10 and NCAA 12 bringing my platinum total to 6.  My goal right now is to clean up some games I know I can get a platinum since I have become a PlayStation only gamer at the moment.

 

Currently I am working on getting a platinum in PES 2014, which was May’s free game as part of Plus.  The game is okay, and the platinum is easy, but it takes a lot of time and patience.  Both of those things are getting harder to find as my gaming collection grows and the want to move on grows larger.  Other games I want to get to in order to clean up include the entire Uncharted series, L.A. Noire, Heavy Rain, Minecraft, NCAA 11, NCAA 13, and the Arkham Series.  Besides that, I also was able to pick up MLB the Show 14, Watch Dogs, and Wolfenstein all for my PS4 who I can only assume has gotten lonely from my rediscovered love of the PS3.   I definitely want to try and platinum Wolfenstein, and possibly Watch Dogs with a chance for The Show as well.  All in all I hope that I can get my platinum number up to at least 15 and possibly even 20.  Of course my trophy level has been on 12 for quite a while, I have never really understood that part, but I am going to do whatever I can to get that up even more.

I look forward to what E3 is going to bring on Monday, and wonder if any of the predictions I made as far as Sony’s first party developers come true or not.  With the PS4 doing as well as it has been doing, it is only a matter of time until some really big exclusives come to light.  This is an exciting time to be a Sony gamer, and an especially exciting time to be coming back to the Sony family like I have.  So much to do and play that I have no idea how I will be able to fit it in.  Check back every day at 11 A.M. Est for a new article, and feel free to comment or contact me with any questions or discussion.

PS Vita Slim Coming to the UK

The Ps Vita has been out on the market for just over 2 years and some might say it is dying. However, truthfully we might be seeing a new revival from Sony’s handheld thanks in part to the PS4 and a new model. The PS Vita Slim was revealed for the UK today with a release date of February 7th. While it is already being sold in Japan, this move can only mean that Sony is planning on eventually bringing it to the U.S. sometime soon. The Slim brings a bevy of new features including 1 GB of internal memory and better battery life than the Regular Vita. In order to bring us these two things as well as a lower price Sony had to switch out the amazing OLED screen for a regular LCD screen. Other than that there really isn’t a huge negative to the Slim and could make it that much easier for PS4 owners to purchase one if and when it does come to the U.S., which they have not confirmed nor denied.

Sony is in a perfect position with their handheld as it is a must have add on to any PS4 due to remote play. Not only can the Vita benefit from the PS4, but also from some of the more recently released games and upcoming titles. One such title that may increase some of the handheld’s sales is Borderlands 2 that is set to be released sometime this year. With all of this Vita news, the Vita could see a resurgence that can hopefully get some more publishers on board and broaden the Vita’s catalog of games.

Some may say the Vita is dead or dying, but this may actually be just the beginning with a lot to look forward to. Do you think the Vita is looking up? Any games that you are looking forward to or have been must have games?

Backwards Compatibility

Huge news on the PlayStation front has come in the form of rumors; backwards compatibility coming to PS4 in the form of PS1 and PS2 emulators. These may be more than rumors as many major news outlets have carried the story and there seems to be a bit of truth behind it. Most sites are referencing Shuhei Yoshida, who said emulators could be possible when talking about the lack of backwards capability. Now someone on the inside is talking and saying it might actually be real.

What does this mean for gamers? It means that we may be able to purchase or even use disks for classic PS1 and PS2 games on your PS4 console. If we research exactly what an emulator is we get,

Video game console emulators are programs that allow a personal computer or video game console to emulate another video game console. They are most often used to play older video games on personal computers and more contemporary video game consoles, but they are also used to translate games into other languages, to modify existing games, and in the development process of home brew demos and new games for older systems.
Wikipedia definition

Now the biggest part of this definition that is being talked about is the possibility of games being up scaled into better definition to compensate for the bigger screens of today’s TV's. This was some of the bigger complaints of PlayStation Classics on the PlayStation Store.

Now don't go throwing away or selling those PS1 and PS2 game disks as a rumor has it that these emulators very well could read games off of older disks. This would be the biggest win for gamers due to the fact that games wouldn't have to be repurchased. Take this rumor with a grain of salt as I don't see how Sony could pass up an opportunity to make some extra cash. However, it could sell even more PS4's, so either way Sony wins.

With PlayStation Now, Sony is bringing a service to allow us to enjoy PS3 games, but now it is possible that we could have a way of enjoying every single game that has ever appeared on any Sony System. Sony has done one thing when it comes to the PS4, and that is focus on gamers and what they want. I am happy to see PS4's excellent support from gamer's that shows Sony they can just concentrate on games and make everyone happy. Sony is barely winning the console wars, but if they can get all that they are promising to work... we may not see Microsoft continue their gaming system in the distant future.

So what do you think? Does this sell a PS4 system? And what is the classic PlayStation game you look forward to playing?

A Look Ahead

Looks like Sony has been teasing a "Slim" announcement and all signs including preorder listings have led to the obvious rumor of the PS Vita Slim making its way over to the U.S. Hopefully we also get an announcement about Vita TV as well. I will make sure to have you covered with the news and announcements from Sony when they make them public.

Why I Want to Write and Talk: Follow my Playstation Blog

Well it has been a bit since I wrote on here... views kinda died after the initial launch and I am not even sure many people will continue to look at this. But I have decided that I want to continue to post my opinion and information about what I love in the hopes that some time in my life I may be able to use this to get a career I truly enjoy. As it is, I currently work in the financial industry full time. This has nothing to do with the degree I received in college, and it isn't a job I love. It is simply a job that helps pay bills. If I could do anything it would have to do with talking and writing about sports and video games. Those have been my biggest two passions in life and what I like to do most each and every day.

I came close to working in sports radio but the economy kinda messed that up when I was interning at a local station. My boss constantly was telling me what a great job I was doing, and honestly I was doing more work than any of the interns they had. It got to a point where my boss took a week off and left me in charge. That time went great and when it ended I continuously asked about jobs with them and never really had openings and eventually were laying people off. It was an unlucky moment for me to be in. Had I done my internship a few months before or a year or so after I might be in the industry. As it was I had to go out and get a job and I was lucky at the path I took for someon doing something that had nothing to do with their degree.

Deep down though, I feel like one day I could do something I love. I don't feel like i will stay where I am and just may get to do something I enjoy doing. This is where this blog comes into play for me. Whether anyone reads it or not, I want to use it to practice my writing skills that were kind of put on the back burner being a communications major instead of a writing major. Hopefully that practice and enthusiasm can get me to a place where I am given an opportunity. That is all I am looking for: an opportunity. One day I hope that I am one of those people who is able to give fans and followers a great story that makes people believe they can do anything. All I can hope for is the idea in my head that I tried and didn't give up on doing something better.

I hope that people can give me critque's and advice, as well as have conversation over the things I bring up. The thing I like the most is conversation over the things I love and am passionate about. So please help with my dream and follow this blog, comment, and feel free to give you opinion. Every little bit helps me move a step closer. And if nothing comes of it, it still will be a way for me to express my passion in writing for others to see.

Back from Vaca!

Well I just got back last night from Vacation and boy was that needed! Got some good time in on Lego Lord of The Rings and Tearaway. Tearaway is the best game ever for Vita, a must own for any Vita owner! The use of all the controls, camera, and touch screens is unbelievable! Looking to platinum both games which I think will be doable with a little time as both are games that need 100% completion with all the collectables.

As for all the Playstation News that hit while I was gone, here is my take on them. The biggest of course being Playstation Now. I got to say, they still surprised me with the full announcement even though we knew it was coming. They didn't reveal the pricing, but did mention you could do subscription base or rent games individually. I think that was a great move for people looking to try out the service or who maybe missed a couple of last gen games. As long as the subscription isn't too much I may still be looking at doing that. I love the inclusion of Vita in the streaming hosts and was suprised at the number of platforms that can use PSNOW. So far the videos I have seen of the service shows it working pretty well, but until the beta can be in the hands of normal consumers under normal conditions I will hold out on judgement. Overall I believe this was huge news for Sony and a continuation of the right moves that Sony is making. I'm hoping to get into the Beta, so we will see more when all that info comse later this month.

This does transition into the news of the PS4 selling 4.2 million units.... WOW! that is all I can even muster up to say about that number. They were hoping to hit 5 mill after the Japan launch in the end of February, but that may be even closer than expected. Here is what blows my mind even more though, the system is not available anywhere. How many would they have sold if stock were higher? Or are the lower stocks creating a higher demand? No idea honestly but that is a rather great achievement for Sony. Not to mention like I said the Japan launch is still imminent, how many can Sony sell? 7 mill? 8 mill? 10 mill????!?!?

What these sales numbers show me is that Sony has done the right thing from day one. There has really been no negatvie news since the announcment of the PS4 and they have done everything right. Pricepoint, features, design, and announcments; Sony has listened to the gamers and really learned from the PS3's struggles. It is why I have fallen back in love with Sony: They listen. But this brings me to something that has gone into a special part of my heart: the Vita. The system continues to struggle with sales and amount of games, but has so much potential. If Tearaway has shown me anything, is what a great piece of hardware it is and what it is capable of. Not to mention how well remote play works and the potential that PSNow can bring, PS Vita has a chance to actually succeed. What exactly it will take to succeed is another story, but with such a large install of users for the PS4, I hope that those people buy PS Vita's for remote play and are able to see that the Vita has so much more to offer.

So, from this blog what does everyone think of PS Now, the 4.2 million sold, and what do you think of Vita? Comment below!