Editorial: The PlayStation Network Outage Survival Guide

Hello friends, if you are reading this, you may have realized that there has been a PlayStation Network outage for an extended period of time. It's been five long days already with probably a few more on the horizon. Certainly by now there are riots in the streets, protests, Nintendo fans celebrating the fact that their method of online gaming is not the worst out there while this outage continues on, as well as grown men in fetal positions checking the status of the outage every minute. Certainly there are ways to lessen the pain of not being able to play online and I have those tips just for you with my own handy dandy PlayStation Network outage survival guide.

1. Play games in single player mode: There are many people who only play multiplayer games like Call of Duty. Little do they realize that these games also have single player modes. Time for COD enthusiasts on PS3 to take a break from leveling up to try beating the campaign. There are plenty of people who have not touched this mode and it is a sad sight to see. If you are looking to buy a new single player game to keep your thumbs busy during the outage, check out masterpieces such as Heavy Rain, Mass Effect 2, any Ratchet and Clank Future game, God of War III, and many more. There are tons of amazing single player games out there. You might even be able to find some bargain bin titles that will keep you busy offline for hours.

2. Play with friends in the same room: If you can't play against your friends online, invite them over to your house. Sure, you have to play split screen but that ain't stopping the fun. Just make sure it is people who actually want to play video games when they come over. If they at first refuse, tell them you've fallen and can't get up or that you're addicted to crystal meth and need an immediate intervention. And when they come over, make sure you have food ready for your guests. People like food, especially cheese doodles.

3. Enjoy the outdoors: If you've been addicted to multiplayer modes of games like Killzone 3, Uncharted 2, LitleBigPlanet 2 or others, you may have forgotten what that yellow circle in the sky is, that's the sun. Going outside and walking is great exercise. Since you first grabbed that Sixaxis or Dualshock 3 controller, you may have noticed that your body might have gotten a little wider and puffier than you remember. Time to get rid of that weight and run some laps at a track, your local park, or even your neighborhood. If your body mass has stayed the same, do the same thing. Chase birds, feed ducks at a local pond, pick a person out of a crowd and chase him. Make a game out of whatever you do outside and it can be about half as fun as getting those sweet headshots. Going outside every once in a while is always good.

4. Find other forms of amusement: There's lots to do other than playing video games but many other forms of amusement do not compare. You're gonna have to just suck it up and do it. That mexican game with the ball attached to the cup looks fun or just watch a bunch of movies... oh that's right, all video streaming services won't work on your nice TV while PSN is down. If you like sleeping, maybe knocking yourself into a coma until the outage is over is just your cup of tea. My point is there's lots of other things to do than play video games. Maybe finding a new hobby will change your life.

5. Play online on another system: Whoa there partner, you would never consider this. After all those years of being completely loyal to the PlayStation brand? You're the type of person who would spit on an Xbox 360 controller and break someone's Wii before they got the chance to play with it. You'd be out of your mind to betray Sony after all those years. Certainly if you are not a loyalist, go right ahead and pick up on all the multiplayer fun on Xbox 360 or play some Super Smash Bros. Brawl on Wii if you don't mind the lag. There's lots of fun to be had on the two other systems on the market.

So there you have it, my PlayStation Network outage survival guide. If you follow these tips, you'll be completely sane until PlayStation Network goes back online. When that is nobody knows for sure. Stay tuned to GamersCast Podcast for more information.

Editorial: Top Five Games That Need to be on Nintendo 3DS

The Nintendo 3DS offers a lot of new features including a gyroscope, more processing power, enhanced connectivity, and of course, the 3D screen. There are many games that really can take advantage of all of these features. Nintendo has many franchises that are and can take advantage of all of these features. Here is my list of the top five Nintendo franchises and spinoffs that can really use the 3DS's unique capabilities to its advantage. This list only will not include games already announced by Nintendo.

5. Metroid Prime: Metroid Prime: Hunters on the original Nintendo DS was a smashing success. It really showed off the power of the original DS as well as that first person shooters can work with a stylus. Having a new Metroid Prime in 3D would be a stunning sight to see. Not only would the game look amazing but it could also sport an amazing online multiplayer experience, even better than the one on the original DS. Streetpass can also be used to swap stats.

4. Super Smash Bros.: This is one of the most popular Nintendo franchises. Super Smash Bros. Brawl was easily the most anticipated Wii game of the Wii's life cycle. Brawl delivered on many of its promises but one it struggled with was laggy online play, and sadly enough, the online multiplayer was the most demanded feature. Nintendo can change this with Nintendo 3DS. Some would say Smash Bros. is a party game which is more fun with everyone playing on the same screen. I think Smash Bros. would amazing things on the 3DS and finally get the online multiplayer right. Imagine stages that pop out of the screen or characters bouncing from one screen to another. A portable Smash Bros. game would be an amazing idea.

3. Super Mario Galaxy: No matter what, I'm sure the 3D Super Mario Bros. game Miyamoto is currently working on will look and play spectacularly but Super Mario Galaxy would be a native fit for 3D. The planets are all so far away and a sense of depth would add a lot to the gameplay. Whether it's the best of both Mario Galaxy games in 3D or an all new space adventure, there's no doubt this game was made to be in 3D.

2. WarioWare: There have been many installments of WarioWare in the past and I'm pretty surprised there is none for the 3DS launch window. It seemed like the DS and Wii versions of WarioWare were tech demos shown to show off the capabilities of touch and motion gameplay styles. 3DS has all of that as well as 3D capabilities. Imagine microgames where things pop out of the screen and into your face. Nintendo can really get away with being as gimmicky as they want while showing consumers what the 3DS is capable of. Maybe even building on the DIY aspect of the game would be cool.

1. Pokemon Snap: Honestly if there is one spinoff Nintendo fans want to revisit, it is Pokemon Snap. There have been hundreds of new Pokemon added since the game came out more than a decade ago. Seeing the environments in 3D would add so much to the realism of the game. Imagine seeing Pokemon in full 3D. Using the gyroscope to move the 3DS around would also make controlling the game a very realistic experience as you move your body to change the camera angle. Not to mention Streetpass and Spotpass can be used to share photos with friends and strangers.

Editorial: My Thoughts on NGP

While it's clear the PSP is on its last legs, or possibly dead, Sony has finally announced that the PSP's successor known as NGP is on the way. It seriously blew my mind and exceeded my wildest expectations. Will it be the next big thing or will it lose right from the starting gate to Apple and Nintendo?

The specs of NGP really blew my mind. This thing is capable of bringing the same experience of playing current gen consoles like Xbox 360 and PS3 to a handheld. Sure NGP is huge but that's because it boasts a 5 inch OLED screen. It also has amazing new parts such as a second analog stick, front and rear cameras, Sixaxis motion controls such as an accelerometer and gyroscope, GPS, Wi-Fi and 3G, a touch screen, and a rear touch panel. I've never seen so many new things added from one generation to the next. The parts added are not just to catch up to its competitors who have motion controls, 3G, and touch screens, but these new parts also enhance gameplay. I was most definitely impressed by Little Deviants, one of the many games coming to NGP. The amount of control I can have over the environment is insane. Uncharted also looked amazing. I don't know if I would use the touch screen or touch panel to control Nathan Drake but the addition of the second analog stick brings those dualshock control I love on the go. I'm very excited for many of the games announced including LittleBigPlanet, Killzone, Uncharted, Call of Duty, and more.

In my editorial about the successor to PSP, I said that in order for it to succeed, it needs to find a core demographic. I am so happy to say that I think NGP found one. Its core demographic is hardcore gamers. I'm sure there are many hardcore gamers who have never even owned a handheld system. NGP will definitely appeal to all hardcore gamers so long as there is a quality software lineup. I'm sure NGP will see many ports of great current gen games within its first year or two as an easy way to cash in. But with such power comes great potential. Imagine a Call of Duty game on NGP that would rival the experience you would get on Xbox 360. This is clearly what NGP is capable of. With applications like Near and the LiveArea page for each game, NGP will feel even more connected to your friends than all current gen systems. It is clear to see that the success of NGP will depend on the software released. It must prove to be all the awesomeness of a current gen game in a tiny package. The new methods of controls such as the touch screen, rear touch panel, and Sixaxis will bring all new methods of control that were not possible before. Even casual games like Angry Birds will be able to receive a full port over to NGP thanks to the PlayStation Suite which will no doubt be successful.

Will I get an NGP at launch? Probably not. It will most likely be expensive, around $300 or $400. I'd rather spend my money on all the other great games releasing this holiday and I probably won't have even close to the amount of money I need for NGP. Seeing the way I get money throughout the year, I will most likely get one within the first year or so of its release. I am getting the Nintendo 3DS at launch since it is affordable at $249 and I definitely have the cash for it. Did NGP steal a bit of the 3DS's thunder? It definitely did but I'm sure both will be successful, even NGP so long as the software lineup remains strong and each system shows what they are capable of with each game.

If you would like to contact Adam Shear, the author of this post, feel free to do so at adam@gamerscastpodcast.com

Editorial: What Will PSP 2 Need to Succeed?

You may have heard the recent rumors that Sony is getting ready to unveil their take on next generation portable gaming soon and it looks like they actually might at an event on January 27. It is hard to say whether PSP 2 even has a chance at succeeding. The first PSP did not have the success Sony was expecting and it is far behind its competitors, the Nintendo DS and iPod Touch. Even Nintendo 3DS will do fairly well. Everyone but Sony has been a massive hit with the kids and tweens demographics. The PSP was somewhat successful but it has been a massive flop in its later year due to poor support from third parties and no high quality games. In 2010, games franchises like God of War, Metal Gear Sold, and Kingdom Hearts arrive but the audience is not there. The PSP Go was a huge failure because very few people understood digital distribution and connecting the PSP to Wi-Fi in order to get games. At least Apple lets you sync the iPod's games to iTunes which is a very easy process. Not only that but you were restricted to the PlayStation Network store when a lot of great games might have only been available on UMD which even as the PSP exists, it has turned into an obsolete format. What will Sony have to do in order to make PSP 2 successful? It's a huge gamble for them because there is barely any room for them in the portable gaming market with such strong competitors. I have made a couple of lists of what I expect the PSP 2 to have and what it needs to do in order to be successful. Some things do overlap.

Things I expect the PSP 2 to have:

1. Second analog stick: this was easily the biggest problem with the original PSP and with a second stick, there is a huge opportunity for portable FPS games to play well. This alone may help bring amazing games to PSP 2.

2. HD Display: The original PSP had a huge 4" widescreen display which looks beautiful. I expect the PSP 2's screen to maybe the around the same size but much high resolution, at least 720p HD. There are also rumors of it having a glasses free 3D display which Sony has already put on their 3D Bloggie and camcorder which go as big as 3.5". While it still could be possible, I really doubt it since Sony probably started making PSP 2 a while back and its probably too late to go back to the drawing board to add this.

3. Full PSN Experience: While PSP may just have the PlayStation Store, I expect PSP 2 to also have your PSN friends list and have trophy support for all games. This would be an easy and excellent addition to PSP 2 that would increase its use.

4. Impressive Technology: The graphics processor and the chips inside this thing will no doubt be super powerful, probably enough to compete with Xbox 360 or PS3 considering you are looking at the game on a smaller screen.

I expect PSP 2 to release in Spring 2012 if announced on Thursday and it would probably be between $300 and $400.


What will PSP 2 need in order to be successful?:

1. The first four items on the previous list

2. Multimedia Functions: Watching movies in HD and listening to music could be popular features if they are easy to use. Watching a movie on a PSP 2 is probably a much better experience than on a 3DS screen (in 2D) or iPod Touch screen.

3. Apps: Apps have made the iPod Touch successful and Sony can definitely think of a few great things and make great partnerships to put things like Facebook or Twitter on the PSP 2 as a native app.

4. Finding a core demographic: Kids and gamers love the 3DS because Nintendo makes great software and its in 3D and everyone loves Apple's iPod Touch because its easy to use, its an amazing multimedia device, and the games are cheap. PSP 2 needs to find a core demographic in order to succeed. There need to be a niche that's not getting their fill. Maybe PSP 2 can appeal to a more adult audience but adults don't wanna be seen at work or on the train with video game systems in their pockets (at least that's the thought in America). Portable game systems are still widely considered kids' stuff not meant for adults but this is not true. PSP 2 needs to find a specific market interested in it in order to succeed.

5. Cheap games: iPod Touch is so successful because you can get quality titles for only $.99. This is insane! Sony needs to cut into that market. They started with PSP minis but these games are so overpriced. Minis need to go down in price from $7 to $15 per game to only between $.99 and $4.99. Those are the only prices Minis should be allowed to be. This alone would really help PSP 2.

6. High quality software lineup: This is easily the simplest, most important point of all. If there are amazing games people want, people will buy them along with the system. Sony needs huge third party support as well as getting its first party studios to make amazing games on PSP 2. Literally it could succeed on quality titles alone. So long as the games are there and they are good, people will buy the system.

Editorial: Nintendo 3DS Announcement Impressions

As most of you already know, Nintendo held their long awaited launch event on Nintendo 3DS this week. Although we will be discussing this on a future episode of GamersCast Podcast, I wanted to give my thoughts ahead of time.

As it was announced, the Nintendo 3DS will release on March 27 for $249.99. Many people are saying that this price is ridiculous. It costs as much as the Wii did at launch and its $100 more than what Nintendo DS costed when it released in 2004. I say that this price is actually reasonable. My original prediction was $250 with some software pack in and I was totally right. The Nintendo 3DS comes with tons of pre loaded software like the Mii Maker, Face Raiders, and more. It even comes with six augmented reality cards. Even if you don't pick up a game at launch, there will still be some great stuff to do right out of the box.

While the price is good, the launch titles do not appeal to me at all. It is very clear that Nintendo rushed the 3DS to market after seeing sales rapidly decline for both Wii and DS. No 3D video content, web browser, or eStore at launch is definitely disappointing. The launch games in terms of third parties are the usual suspects like Madden NFL Football, Super Monkey Ball, Asphalt, Ridge Racer Rayman, and more. The launch games with the exception of a few are probably rushed titles looking to cash in. That does not mean that they will be bad. A few titles like Resident Evil: The Mercenaries 3D, Dead or Alive: Dimensions and Super Street Fighter IV 3D Edition look great and really take advantage of the 3DS's features even through two of these three games are ports of console games. Nintendo's first party lineup easily looks like a rush job. Games like Nintendogs + Cats and Pilotwings Resort could easily be made in a little more than a year for a quick profit. Again, I'm not saying they are bad games. It's just that there are no great first party hardcore experiences at launch. Nintendo DS had Super Mario 64 DS while Wii had The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess. Although Nintendo GameCube did not have many standout hardcore titles, it did have WaveRace: Wave Runner and Luigi's Mansion. Only a couple of weeks later did Nintendo bring out the big guns with Pikmin and Super Smash Bros. Melee. Nintendo could have Nintendogs + Cats on launch day and then bring out The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time 3D. Zelda was not confirmed as a launch window title but you never know what can happen.

The future for Nintendo 3DS looks bright but its launch window could suffer from a lack of great first party hardcore titles. Having a hardcore Nintendo title at launch would really increase the popularity of Nintendo 3DS. Many fans will probably wait until a Nintendo game they anticipate releases in order to put down the $250. Mario Kart, Paper Mario, and Kid Icarus are on the way but I guess it will have to wait while we are playing Pilotwings Resort along with the great 3rd party launch lineup. If you want the Nintendo 3DS now, I say its a great purchase but you better pre order now while you still can.

Editorial: The Biggest News of 2010

There were many huge game related news announcements during the year of 2010. While many of them were about spectacular new games and new features to existing consoles, one piece of news stood out as being the most surprising and coolest announcement of them all. The piece of news I am talking about is the announcement of Nintendo 3DS.

There is so much to the Nintendo 3DS has improved on from the original Nintendo DS that it is easy to forget many of its new additions. The one that everyone remembers is the key feature which is its ability to display 3D images without the need of special glasses. At this point, it looks like Nintendo 3DS will be the first mass market product in the United States to do this. Aside from this and a more powerful machine capable of things such as an updated tag mode feature and a virtual console for GameBoy games, there are amazing new features which many of us forget about. The first of which is the fact that Nintendo 3DS will have a built in accelerometer and gyroscope which opens the portal to motion controls as advanced as the iPhone 4. Games like Super Monkey Ball can now use both traditional controls and motion controls similar to the Monkey Ball games on iPhone (Super Monkey Ball 3DS news here). It opens up new possibilities for controlling characters as proven on iPhone which uses the same technology. It also makes porting iPhone games a possibility now that 3DS uses the same motion controls and also has a touch screen.

The next big feature is the two camera lenses on the front of the device. These two lenses can take 3D pictures. This one feature may be the "killer app" that the device needs to appeal to people who do not play video games. Taking 3D images and being able to view them without the need to wear glasses is an amazing idea for a singular device. Of course the specifications of the cameras have not been announced yet but I would guess that these 3D images will only look pretty on a screen the size and resolution of the 3DS. If the Nintendo DSi had only 0.3 megapixels, the megapixels on 3DS cannot be much higher.

Nintendo 3DS can also play 3D Hollywood movies. Specifics have not been announced yet but this could be a selling point for those who want 3D movies on the go. 3D in the home will not take off until an ample amount of content is available and the glasses go away. 3D on the go however will take off rather quickly as no glasses are required. The fact that the 3DS will be a multimedia device will help it succeed. 3D gaming, movies, and photos will sell this a multipurpose device and is easily going to inspire manufacturers of mobile devices like cell phones and tablet computers to use the same parallax screen technology as the 3DS. Nintendo 3DS is a device that will change the way the mass market looks at 3D. It will not be a joke any longer. It will be something that most people can enjoy and afford.

Editorial: VGA 2010 Predictions

The annual Video Game Awards or VGAs will be live on Spike TV this Saturday. One special thing about the event is that many new games will be revealed for the first time. What will those games be? I'm not too good at predicting stuff but I do have an idea as to what will be revealed this year. Here are my predictions. Again, these in no way reflect what will actually happen. I will have no idea until tomorrow so if you see something you like, don't assume it true so quickly.

1. Gears of War spinoff: Word on the street is that the footage shown for Gears of War is "Not what we're expecting." Not only that but the previews for the VGAs do not say they are showing footage of the upcoming Gears of War 3. They just say Gears of War. This indicates it will be a new Gears title. There have been rumors going around that this new Gears of War title will be for Kinect. I would think this is true.

*Update: Unfortunately, the Gears of War preview for the VGAs has been postponed. While it will not be on the VGAs, it will be revealed at a later date. Maybe it is Gears of War Kinect after all. Maybe this world premiere got delayed since it might have been a live demo but maybe there were some bugs or quality issues.

2. Bioware's game: Bioware is showing off a new game. The image of the teaser reveals two possibilities. It will either be the unveiling of Mass Effect 3 or a new IP. Geoff Keighley, a producer of the VGAs mentioned that one reveal won't even release until 2013. I believe this is that title.

3. A zombie game: One teaser clearly hints at a zombie game. Keighley already leaked out that this game will be a sequel. There are two possibilities for this. One is a new Resident Evil game. It has been rumored that Siant Six studios, the studio behind Socom: Confrontation is working on the game. Not only that but the zombie images have been related to Resident Evil promotional material. The other possibility is Left 4 Dead 3. This would make more sense since Keighley described this as a new take on a franchise. The Left 4 Dead formula is getting stale in my opinion and its easy to see that it could be different. Not only that but on this image there is number reading 1/3. Could this one of three new games for a new Orange Box? The possibilities are endless.

4. Games we already know will show up: The games you can expect to see revealed include Resistance 3, Batman: Arkham City, Uncharted 3: Drake's Deception, and Thor.

There are still mystery games that have not even been hinted at. I'm sure there will be a shocking world premere. Last year, the most shocking in my opinion was the first trailer for Batman Arkham City which nobody expected since the first one just released months prior to the reveal. There also might be some leaks. Green Day: Rock Band was announced at the VGAs last year but that information was leaked about an hour before the show began. Stay tuned for a live blog right here on the GamersCast news feed tomorrow for those who can't watch the VGAs or want a recap of the world premieres as they are watching. I will refresh it with new details as often as I can so stay tuned for that to go live about thirty minutes before the show, so at about 7:30 pm EST.

Editorial: PlayStation Move vs. Kinect

This holiday season, two new methods of motion control will be available. Both PlayStation Move and Kinect for Xbox 360 have something very unique going for each of them. Kinect hits store shelves in about one week while PlayStation Move has already shipped over one million units. Each of them have different marketing strategies and different goals. The question is this: which one is better for you and which one will sell better this holiday season. I will put my insight into both of these new systems of motion control and give you enough information to choose. Unlike Microsoft's strategy of having celebrities inform and answer questions, I actually know what I am talking about and will give you the information you need.

The Implimentation: How do each of these motion control method work? They certainly are ahead of their class and way more advanced than the Wii's motion control method.

PlayStation Move: Move uses a motion controller and the PlayStation Eye camera to deliver the ultimate motion gaming experience. It's Move controller has many advanced sensors such as accelerometers and gyroscopes and other things that precisely track your motion. The controller shaped like a wand also has a glowing orb at the top. This orb is tracked by the PlayStation Eye camera so it can tell where the Move controller is in three dimensional space.

Kinect: Kinect for Xbox 360 is very different because there is no controller whatsoever. Kinect is a sensor that has a camera on it which can take pictures and allow video chat. There are two other "cameras" on each side of the camera on Kinect. Believe it or not, there are technically not cameras. They are sensors that can track your movement in three dimensional space and these sensors can also track the body's movements and replicate them on screen. Kinect also has a microphone array at the bottom of the sensor which can hear you and understand you. You will be able to launch an application such as ESPN or Netflix or play and pause a movie just using your voice. This is not only controller free gaming, its controller free entertainment.

Available Software: You can't sell razors without the razor blades. The software lineup is almost just as important as the hardware being sold. Here is a look at the launch lineup of each motion control method and some titles coming out in the future.

PlayStation Move: There are plenty of games on PlayStation Move. If you do not own a PlayStation Eye camera, you will most likely pick up the Move Starter Kit which includes the game Sports Champions, a sports compilation which serves as the flagship title. I've played Sports Champions and it is a lot of fun. There also is a party game called Start The Party, an augmented reality pet simulator called Eyepet, and plenty of other titles. One interesting thing is that a few of the Move's launch titles are actually games that have already released including Heavy Rain, Tiger Woods PGA Tour '11, Resident Evil 5 and Toy Story 3. Those who already own these games are able to download patches to update their existing titles that are Move compatible. Future games that will be compatible for PlayStation Move include LittleBigPlanet 2, Killzone 3, SOCOM 4, and many more. There is easily something for every type of gamer with PlayStation Move.

Kinect: Kinect will launch with 17 games. The flagship titles looks to be Kinect Adventures which comes with every Kinect sensor sold. This game will contain about 20 different minigames that will showcase many different ways the Kinect sensor can be used. Other titles include a sports compilation from the acclaimed developer Rare called Kinect Sports, a dancing game known as Dance Central from Rock Band developers Harmonix, a pet simulator Kinectimals, and some racing games such as Kinect Joy Ride and Sonic Free Riders. As for future games, plenty of Kinect titles will come out of the Japanese market such as Steel Battalion. As for more games coming from US developers, there is a Star Wars game on the horizon from Lucasarts coming in 2011 and another pet simulator from THQ called Fantastic Pets coming this Spring. There has not been much specifically for hardcore gamers but hardcore gamers can definitely find some things they like from the Kinect launch lineup. Eventually, true hardcore experiences will arrive.

Marketing Strategy: Yes I am going into what strategies Microsoft and Sony are using to sell their products. Although it may not be important to you, it could be to predict whether there will be enough units on store shelves to go around

PlayStation Move: It seems as though Sony has not at all changed their marketing strategy from what it already was. PlayStation 3 only does everything and Sony is sticking to saying that. My belief is that Sony does not want to upset its hardcore fans by showing families play. The Move commercials feature PlayStation spokesperson Kevin Butler spending thirty days with the McGuire family to prove that everyone in the house loves PlayStation Move. In the commercials they do show the family playing together. They also show their more hardcore titles in action. Overall, I do not believe these advertisements are convincing those who would love to play casual games to switch over to PlayStation 3. I think Sony needs to get Move more mainstream attention which is exactly what its opponent is doing.

Kinect: Microsoft is taking the complete opposite approach as Kinect. Their main focus is on everyone. The ads are definitely geared towards the casual/mainstream market but through the Inside Xbox videos on Xbox Live, they have shown hardcore gamers just how advanced and revolutionary Kinect is. This is also being explained on mainstream news channels like CNN and Kinect is also being showcased on many popular television shows including Dancing with the Stars, Glee, The Ellen DeGeneres Show and Oprah. In fact, Oprah gave her whole audience Xbox 360 Kinect bundles. Microsoft is also touring with Kinect across the country. Microsoft knows well that Kinect can literally sell itself if people try it out or people see others having fun with it. Even I can account for that. I was pretty amazed how well it works when I tried it out for the first time. There are also huge rumors of shortages which is gonna rush people to the stores to get it as soon as possible. I actually do believe that there will most likely will be a shortage of Kinect sensors. With half a billion dollars of advertising being done, Microsoft is doing big things to advertise Kinect and it is clear it will be the most wanted item of the holiday season.

Pricing: Pricing is important. Are the prices of Kinect and PlayStation Move worth what they are asking?

PlayStation Move: For those who own a PlayStation 3 but do not already own the PlayStation Eye camera, The PlayStaton Move starter pack is what you will be after. For $99, you will receive one PlayStation Move controller, one PlayStation Eye camera, a copy of Sports Champions, and a PlayStation Move demo disc. For those who may have bought games like The Eye of Judgment in the past and already own a PlayStation Eye camera can purchase a standalone Move controller for $49.99. The Move Navigation Controller which has the same purpose as the Wii's Nunchuck controller costs $29.99. Those who do not want to pay for the Navigation controller can also use the left side of their SixAxis or DualShock 3 controller although that may feel uncomfortable. What if you are new to PlayStation and still have yet to get the PlayStation 3 console? The PlayStation Move starter kit will be bundled with PlayStation 3 consoles for $399.99.

Kinect: Just like PlayStation Move, Kinect will work with every Xbox 360 out there. Those who already own an Xbox 360 can pick up a Kinect sensor for $149.99. Every Kinect sensor will also come with a complimentary copy of Kinect Adventures. With Kinect, there are no extra accessories necessary to allow multiplayer so all you will ever need is the Kinect sensor unless you want to buy a mount to place it on top of your TV. Those are sold through third party accessory manufacturers. If you do not own an Xbox 360 which I'm sure many people looking to buy Kinect will not have, Microsoft will bundle both the Kinect sensor and Kinect Adventures with Xbox 360 consoles. The cheaper model which comes with a 4GB internal hard drive costs $299 while the more expensive model coming with 250GB of internal memory will cost $399. So look at it this way, Buying an Xbox 360 with Kinect is cheaper than buying a PlayStation 3 with PlayStation Move.

Final Verdict: To be honest, I don't think I can pick and choose. No matter what you choose, you can't go wrong. Both Kinect and PlayStation Move provide an incredible motion gaming experience. I know that many hardcore gamers are waiting on Kinect to provide the hardcore gaming experience they are looking for while PlayStation Move already has titles that please the hardcore gamer. I think it all depends on what you are looking for your game console to do, what games you want, and how much money you are willing to shell out. This is almost the same as deciding which cell phone to buy. There is no phone that is clearly the greatest, the best one is the one that suits your needs. If you don't own a gaming console, don't care about bringing your console online, and just want the cheapest possible option, then you should choose the $299 Kinect/Xbox 360 bundle. If you own both systems and again want the cheapest possible option for single player, then the PlayStation Move starter kit would be the best option. Again, it is about what your situation is. Ask yourself what games do you want, what features do you want in your console, and more. Both are great options, the facts I have written above can be used as a guideline for you to make your final choice. In terms of which one will sell better, due to the epically huge ad campaign, I believe Kinect will easily sell more units than PlayStation Move so long as they have the supply to do so.

Kinect Price Revealed: Is It Worth It?

So today the price was revealed for Microsoft's add-on sensor for Xbox 360 known as Kinect. If you have not seen the news already, The standalone Kinect sensor will cost $149.99 and will come with a free copy of Kinect Adventures. Additionally, Microsoft's other first party launch titles which consists of Kinect Sports, Kinectimals and Kinect Joy Ride will all cost only $49.99. Dance Central, a third party title from Harmonix will also cost only $49.99. Prices will vary with the other ten launch titles.

Overall, I think this is a great value for existing Xbox 360 customers. I had a hunch that Kinect would come with a free game. It absolutely needed to. There is no way someone is gonna spend that much money on the accessory and have nothing to do with it except operate the Xbox 360 dashboard and download and play some demos of other Kinect games if there are any at the time of launch. I think the title they chose to be the bundle was also the perfect choice and I am not just saying this because I planned to buy it in the first place. Kinect Adventures will have about 20 unique minigames inside. I always thought of the title as a sort of a showcase for what Kinect can do. I was also thinking they would bundle Kinect Sports instead but in the end, Kinect Sports would sell much better than Kinect Adventures on store shelves. People are more familiar with sports and want to play games like bowling or track and firld on Kinect. I also give credit to Microsoft for pricing its games at $49.99. This puts them into a very competitive field but even still Sony has got the cheapest games for its motion controller at $39.99 each.

There is also a Kinect Xbox 360 bundle which comes with an Xbox 360 (new model), 4GB of flash memory, and the Kinect sensor with Kinect Adventures all for $299.99. This is also not bad at all. We will see how Kinect does when it launches on store shelves on November 4. I think based on these prices, it will have a successful launch and will be hard to find so buy one quickly.

Editorial: Microsoft Press Conference: Initial Impressions

Usually when I post the happenings of an E3 press conference, I just make a bunch of bullet points to get the information out as easily and quickly as possible. I have decided to make these posts into an editorial to put my opinions into the mix. Here is not only what happened at Microsoft's E3 press conference but my opinions and insight mixed in.

First, a demo of Call of Duty: Black Ops took place on stage. It really felt like more of the same. Nothing really stood out for me. After that, Hideo Kojima took the stage along with the producer of Metal Gear Solid: Rising to show the game in action for the first time. This easily was the most impressive thing I saw during Microsoft's presentation. Raiden can cut through anything with style. Choose the angle at which you your enemies, vehicles, and yes, even watermelon.

Next, more demos of hardcore games took place. Cliff Blezinski took the stage along with three others to demonstrate four player co-op in Gears of War 3. The game looks a little bit prettier and the action looks just as intense. The new enemies known as the lambent look really creepy and offer something new. A new multiplayer mode called "Beast" will be shown on the E3 show floor. Overall, Gears of War 3 looks to live up to the hype when it releases on April 8, 2011

Peter Moleneux took the stage right after this to show off a new trailer for Fable III. It showed gameplay which looked exciting as you once again explore the Fable universe. Look forward to Fable III on October 26

One impressive trailer was for Halo Reach. The game looks beautiful and feels more epic than ever before. Although there was no live demo, footage of the campaign was captured and shown. The big reveal is that Halo Reach will introduce space combat allowing you to control a ship in outer space and fight the ships of the covenant. Halo Reach will release on September 14 and it would wise to consider playing it based on what was shown today.

Microsoft also announced a partnership with Crytek to make a game known as Codename Kingdoms exclusive to Xbox 360.

The Xbox Live update was partly predictable. The new big feature is the ability to use Kinect (formerly known as Project Natal) with the Xbox 360's interface. This controller free method looks easy and fun to use. Using your hands and voice, you can do anything from watching a movie, to checking Facebook. The big new feature with Kinect is video chat. The ability to chat with others through their Xbox 360 with Kinect or through Windows Live Messenger, share photos, and watch videos via Bing are coming to the video chat experience. The final piece of the update is ESPN for Xbox 360. Xbox Live Gold members will have the ability to stream 3500 sports games of all kinds in HD and even answer trivia or take a poll while watching the game. Kinect support was also shown for ESPN. Not being someone who enjoys sports, I really could care less about this. I will admit it is cool but I know it is something I will never use. Overall, Kinect looks like an amazing way to control the Xbox. I wonder how much of a problem it will be when I am watching a movie with friends and one of them says "Xbox pause". The fact that it will read anyone's voice seems like a problem to me.

Next, launch titles were revealed for Kinect. Kinectimals is very similar to Eyepet and Nintendogs as you interact with a pet and play with it. With over 30 animals to choose from, the game looks like a great time for kids and animal lovers who wish they can have a real tiger in the house. A virtual one is the next best thing. Kinect Sports from Rare Studios offers many different sports to play including Track and Field, Soccer, Volleyball, Table Tennis, and more. The game looks fun to play and will get you off the couch and moving around. Kinect Joy Ride will provide fun kart racing using your body. Activating boosts is as easy as pushing your hands forward and stunts are pulled off by tilting your body. The most impressive first party launch title I saw was Kinect Adventures. Over twenty different minigames from rafting to avoiding objects, there looks to be a lot to do in the game. The Kinect camera takes pictures of you while playing and posts them on the Internet for all to see.

Third party companies are also taking advantage of Kinect. Ubisoft showed off Your Shape: Fitness Evolved which is a workout game. It measures everything from your height to how accurate you are doing each exercise. MTV Games and Harmonix showed off a game called Dance Central. The game looks to teach you how dance effectively by using actual dance moves. Its great for experts or even those with two left feet. Other 3rd party launch titles were mentioned, most of them being sports and fitness games and others being games like Sonic Free Riders from Sega.

Kinect will have 15 games when it launches on November 4 but the titles for 2011 look even more impressive than any launch title. A collaboration between Lucasarts and Microsoft Game Studios brings Star Wars to life with controller free lightsaber action and force powers. Turn Ten studios showed off Forza Motorsport for Kinect which allows you to actually walk around a car and see every part of it along with beautiful graphics running at 60 frames per second. This shows that the first launch titles will most likely be full of rushed product but the best is yet to come in 2011

The final surprise is the new Xbox 360. It has a smaller, slimmer design, its really quiet, it will be more compatible with Kinect (the old Xbox 360 owners will have to have a spare outlet to plug Kinect into), a 250 GB hard drive, and 802.11 N Wi-Fi built in. It will be at the same $299 as the older Xbox 360 Elite and it will start shipping today. The big "Oprah moment" came when it was announced that all the attendees of the press conference would be getting the new Xbox 360 shipped to their homes.

Overall, I have to admit I was disappointed with Microsoft's presentation. The Kinect titles seem like all casual experiences at this point but 2011 does look promising. The best moment of the show in my opinion was the trailer for Metal Gear Solid Rising. The game looks incredibly fun. There really were no surprises. Everything was either announced yesterday or a while before that. Hopefully Sony and Nintendo can make up after what happened today. Look for my thoughts on those later on tomorrow. One ends when the other begins so it may take a while to get both posted.

Editorial: E3 Predictions Part 3: Microsoft

Microsoft has always been able to entertain a crowd and blow people's expectations, including my own. Even in 2007 when 99% of their press conference's focus was on the holiday season, Microsoft knew how to make a great showcase and impress with games that have been already revealed. Last year, Microsoft unveiled what they see as a game changer and that is what is known as Project Natal. One final time this year I will say that none of my predictions reflect the predictions of other GamersCast Podcast staff members and I will be only focusing on first party titles.

This year, Microsoft will have two events. The first is a party showcasing titles for Project Natal. I believe that Project Natal's actual name will be revealed at the party and more than 75% of Natal games that will be at E3 will be not just revealed for the first time, but they will also be playable.

Less than 24 hours after this party, Microsoft will hold its annual E3 press conference. Microsoft will really have four pinacle moments in its conference, each of which revolving around its biggest software and hardware.

Bungie will most likely demo a portion of the single player in Halo Reach on stage. Halo Reach is Microsoft's biggest title this year and that most likely will not be changing. Halo Reach will release on September 14 and more information on the game will obviously be revealed at E3. The multiplayer beta gave us a small taste of the multiplayer so that has to mean single player will get the spotlight.

The second pinacle moment will be a demo of Gears of War 3. There is not much known about the game and seeing a demo will reveal new features. As one of the most highly anticipated titles for 2011, Microsoft will want to start to build hype for the game as often as it can and showing it at their E3 press conference will generate an amazing amount of hype if the demo exceeds people's expectations.

The third pinacle moment will be this year's Xbox Live update. Ever since the introduction of the New Xbox Experience in 2008, Microsoft has really pushed to make Xbox 360 an amazing entertainment platform. With the introduction of services like Netflix, last.fm, and the Zune Marketplace, there is no doubt in my mind that another media service will come to Xbox Live. Many analysts have pointed to Hulu being a big part of the update. Most likely, Hulu on Xbox Live will cost a fee since the website is experimenting with paid services but I am sure many people would pay the small fees to catch up on their favorite TV shows in HD. Other than Hulu, I cannot really think of any other media services the Xbox 360 could use. The ability to stream web videos from sites like YouTube in HD would be a great feature that would instantly become popular. The one thing that I have to expect from this year's update is compatibility with Project Natal within the Xbox 360 dashboard. This has been shown off last year and it probably means the new dashboard update will launch alongside Project Natal.

The fourth and most obvious pinacle moment in the press conference will be Project Natal. Microsoft will be showcasing Project Natal at an event before the press conference but I am sure there will be some surprises in store. The release date and price of Project Natal will most likely be revealed at the press conference as well as demos of new games and software from the accessory. I believe Microsoft will need to bundle software with Project Natal like the rest of their competition is doing. Hopefully it will be a compilation of simple games like Ricochet and Paint Party. I believe simple tech demos like this make a great pack in because it shows the consumer the many different ways they can use the device. Project Natal can really succeed but its rumored price of $150 could stop Natal from reaching its full potential. Additionally, Microsoft should bundle Project Natal with every new Xbox 360 so that Natal games can eventually have that large audience it needs. This may mean in increase in the price of Xbox 360 consoles but I am sure most consumers will not mind since Project Natal could be the reason the system is being purchased. Project Natal has a lot of potential but some key factors such as price and software can make all the difference. I am also betting that Microsoft will put the spotlight on Project Natal games from 3rd party companies. It only makes sense since that is where most of the games will come from.

Microsoft is sure to impress. They have the first E3 press conference and I think they are gonna set the bar high for Nintendo and Sony. The whole point of the E3 press conference is to impress. Each major console manufacturer has 1.5-2 hours of individualized attention. Everyone's eyes will be on them. What each company needs to do is impress its audience with great content. That is what companies like Microsoft have done in the past and will continue to do. June 14 is when Microsoft's press conference will be followed by Nintendo and Sony's on June 15. Third party companies such as EA, Ubisoft, Konami, and many more will also have their own press conferences throughout the week so stay tuned starting on June 14 for the latest news coming from the largest gaming expo in the world.

Editorial: E3 Predictions Part 2: Sony

E3 is now only a couple of weeks away and every major player in the interactive entertainment industry is going all out with announcements of their biggest titles. Sony has done a very impressive job at E3 for the last couple of years. Their 2006 press conference was a disaster which has been spoofed by many on the web. Thankfully after all that, there are no more giant enemy crabs or talks of a $599 price. Not only but I remember watching the 2006 conference live and Sony started thirty minutes late. They really have recovered since then and I even thought last year's showing was the best lineup of all major hardware companies. This only covers first party titles and does not reflect the opinions of the other GamersCast Podcast staff.

How Sony has done its press conference in recent years is that they at first focus on announcements that will be effective during the holiday season. All surprises that will release this year are usually announced within the first three quarters of the conference. The rest of the time is used to focus on titles for the following year. This is the one thing I like about Sony at E3. They focus more on next year at their conference than Nintendo or Microsoft. Some of what Sony has to offer on Playstation 3, PSP and Playstation 2 is already known and I think there will be fewer surprises this year than last year. What do I think Sony will talk about at E3?

Games Sony will definitely show:

Playstation Move launch titles- Sony has already revealed many titles such as Sports Champions, Move Party, The Shoot, and many more that will most likely launch with Playstation Move. There will no doubt be new titles shown for the first time at Sony's conference. They have already announced that for $99 you get a starter kit which comes with the Playstation Eye camera, a Move controller, and a game. I believe there will be multiple starter kits featuring many different games. I am also interested to see Playstation Network titles that will support Move other than the ones that will be updated to support it. I believe all of that will definitely be revealed at Sony's conference

God of War: Ghost of Sparta- There is no doubt that this will be the most highly anticipated PSP game of 2010. Sony has yet to show footage of the game to the public and E3 is the perfect opportunity to demo the game in front of the world.

Killzone 3- It was just announced last week and Sony will definitely reveal a few new things about the game as well as debut a trailer and possibly demo the game.

LittleBigPlanet 2- LittleBigPlanet 2 is one of those games that just has so many features that not all of it will even be revealed until the game's launch. According to what I have heard, there will be announcements at E3 concerning the "create" function of the game. Some new information will be revealed and it will most likely be something unexpected. I think Media Molecule will definitely surprise all of us with great new information at E3.

Socom 4- Although it was previously announced, more information on Socom 4 will be revealed at E3. It is likely that a release date will also be confirmed at the show.

The Last Guardian- The trailer at last year's E3 blew everyone away and there is no doubt in my mind that Sony will reveal more about The Last Guardian.


Games Sony might at E3

Resistance 3- The announcement of Resistance 3 was leaked on a movie set when a bilboard on the set revealed information on the game. I believe Resistance 3 is in development and will release in 2011. If this is all true, Sony will reveal the first trailer and information on the game near the end of their press conference.

Heavy Rain Chronicles DLC- Heavy Rain has done so much better in sales than its developers at Quantic Dream expected. There so far is only one piece of Heavy Rain DLC (downloadable content) and I believe that there just has to be more in store. This would be the perfect venue to unveil details on Heavy Rain DLC and I would not be surprised if the release of the second piece of content was released only a couple of weeks after it is unveiled.

Games Sony will not show at E3

Eat Sleep Play title- David Jaffe has said hundreds of times that his company's game, whatever it might be, will NOT be on the E3 show floor. End of story.

There is more than just games being revealed. Sony has already confirmed that they will be releasing a paid service for Playstation Network in which you pay for membership but receive extra content. I have heard many things about the service such as that it will allow users to download one free PSN game per month. Only certain titles will be eligible. I also heard the Playstation Protection Plan will be included in the service as well. I think that they also need to give these users free subscriptions to Qore, special "meet and greet" opportunities in Home, getting some content earlier than users not paying for the servie, similar to the way Xbox Live releases demos. Another thing I heard is that cross-game chat will be included with the premium servie. I think if they do all these things, they will get users to sign up. I would think rather than a monthly fee, users should have an option to pay for a full year of service so they do not have to worry every month about paying rather than getting it over with then.

Another huge rumored announcement is the debut of the successor to the PSP. The PSP has been out for five years and Nintendo will be revealing information on the successor to Nintendo DS at E3. Based on this information alone, it is easy to believe that Sony will say something about the new system at E3. I don't think that the PSP 2 will be coming out anytime soon. I think will will come out before Summer of 2012 but I think Sony really needs to think about whether they can compete against Nintendo 3DS and even iPhone which really is a true competitor. I think the PSP 2 does need to avoid putting games like the PSP Mini games on the system. iPhone has taken over as a much better spot for games like that. PSP 2 needs to be closer to bringing the console experience to a handheld. This was the goal with the original PSP and it did not do as well as it should have. The addition of a second analog stick would help so many developers in making great games. I hate using the face buttons as controls for the camera. It does not work. The one thing that will drive the system to success is that it will be much more powerful than the first PSP. This will mean more capable games will released for the system. A high definition screen and built in hard drive with options for expandable memory also must be included in order for the system to succeed. I think the PSP 2 wil not be unveiled at E3 but instead may be at the Tokyo Game Show or at Gamescom.

Sony will no doubt do nothing but impress at E3. What will they really show? We will have to wait until June 15 to hear more information. The final part of my E3 prediction will arrive later this week so stay tuned for that.

Editorial: E3 Predictions Part 1: Nintendo

Well its my favorite time of year again that is not the Holiday season. E3 is only weeks away and we at GamersCast Podcast can't wait to cover it from the homefront. This is the first of a three part series of editorials on my E3 predictions. These are my personal predictions and do not reflect the opinions of any of the other GamersCast staff.

I decided to go for Nintendo first. Nintendo has not really been pleasing me. I have been left with disappointment for the last two years but hopefully things will change. Nintendo has had an awesome lineup over the last year and I feel 2010 will be Nintendo's year, at least on the portable side of things with the anticipated reveal of Nintendo 3DS.

So what do I think Nintendo will show?

Games that Nintendo will definitely show

Metroid: Other M- The game would have been out within days after Nintendo's press conference but was delayed until the last week of August. Nintendo will definitely show the game off as one of its key titles.

Wii Party- The game debuted recently and this no doubt will be a party game marketed at casual players. Hardcore gamers will more than likely snooze while the game's details are being revealed.

Fire Emblem DS- It was briefly shown at Nintendo's last E3 press conference and is bound to make a return this time around.

The Legend of Zelda Wii- Nintendo has not kept this game a secret at all. So far, one piece of concept art has been released and the game will require Wii MotionPlus to play. Nintendo has hinted that they will show off this game and I believe they will finally do so. Zelda will definitely be at E3 in some form whether its a trailer or an actual demo. Hopefully this one will receive quite the fanfare like Twilight Princess did at E3 2004

Games Nintendo may show

Pokemon Black and White Versions- Usually new Pokemon games are not shown since E3 is an American convention but hopefully Nintendo will talk a little bit about the next generation of Pokemon.

Games Nintendo will probably not show

Pikmin 3: There have been hints of a new Pikmin game for a while but there really has been no confirmation as to whether the game exists. The Wii would work perfectly for Pikmin and there is still plenty of room for innovation in the franchise but I don't know if Nintendo has taken the opportunity to create a new Pikmin game.

Two pieces of hardware will be shown at Nintendo's press conference. The first of these pieces of hardware is the Wii Vitality Sensor. It debuted at last year's E3 but it has never been demoed. Nintendo promised they will show software that will work for it. Although its functions are still a mystery, I still cannot see how having my heartbeat monitored can effect my experience playing a game. Nintendo will surely surprise me.

The next piece of hardware Nintendo will unveil is their next big platform, Nintendo 3DS. Nintendo has already confirmed that it will be the successor to Nintendo DS and will be backwards compatible with all DS titles. The screens will be able to produce 3D effects without the use of special glasses. It is rumored that Sharp will be supplying their new a-stereoscopic screens meant for cell phones for this device. Those screens are able to produce a 3D effect without glasses and the screen can be a resistive touch screen, the same type of touch screen the current DS uses now.

I am sure the system will be wonderful but I think it will have a few more amazing features. I believe that 3DS Ware games will be downloadable at launch and that Nintendo will somehow make Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and buying games on the system a bigger part of the 3DS experience. I also believe the system could have an accelerometer for tilting. I am also pretty sure the system will be almost as powerful as a Nintendo GameCube. I think that 3D photos could also be a big feature. That would mean there would have to be four cameras (two on each side of the system) to capture the two perspectives required for 3D.

Following the trends of every other Nintendo system, Nintendo 3DS will most likely be under $200 and I believe it will release this Fall. Hopefully it comes with a game like the Wii comes with Wii Sports and the first shipment of DS was bundled with Metroid Prime: Hunters First Hunt. I'm sure Nintendo will provide Nintendo Points to the first paying consumers. I think 3D is the way of the future for games but Nintendo will have to be one of the main driving forces at this year's E3.

I think Nintendo will be successful this year at making all their consumers happy. The wait until the middle of June will be long but I am sure it will be well worth the wait.

Look for parts two and three coming soon where I will predict what Sony and Microsoft have to offer.

Editorial: Why Gears of War 3 will Truely be Epic

This week, Cliff Blizinski finally confirmed that Gears of War 3 is in development on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. The final chapter of the Gears of War trilogy will have plenty of new features such as four player co-op, new weapons like the double barrel shotgun, and new playable characters including female soliders. This game will surely be just as if not more epic than the first two games but none of the new features listed above are the reasons Gears of War 3 will most likely outsell its predecessors. 

The big reason the game will succeed is not just about what's in it. In the case of Gears of War 3 it might just be when the world gets to play it. Microsoft has confirmed the game will release in North America on April 5, 2011 and will be in all other major territories by April 8, 2011. The first two Gears of War games released during the Holiday season. The first Gears game in 2006 was Microsoft's "killer app" for Xbox 360 at the time. It had to stand tall against the launches of Playstation 3 and Wii. The second game had to compete in the 2008 holiday season where incredible games such as Fallout 3, LittleBigPlanet, Rock Band 2, and a handful of others were released. Both Gears of War titles sold well with the first game selling over three million copies and the second selling four million units. These truly are great statistics but how will Gears of War 3 stack up?

Who will Gears 3 be competing with when it launches? As of now, it could be nobody too special. Many more gamers have been exposed to the Gears of War franchise with novels, comic books, and a possible movie from New Line Cinemas all being produced. When April rolls around, gamers may not have to think about which games to buy if Gears stands as the only choice. Some great games will probably come out in Spring 2011 but most companies wait for the Holiday season to unleash the big guns. 

With Halo Reach, Fable III and Project Natal, Microsoft's holiday 2010 lineup is already overflowing with awesome and very few games will be able to compete for the cash of the consumer. If Epic Games and Microsoft take the initiative to start advertising for Gears 3 during the Holiday season, they may see more people rationing their gift cards for the April launch.  Since Epic Games has had plenty of opportunities to make the Gears of War experience better, the final chapter will most likely stand out as one of the pinnacle moments in this generation of consoles. The April release will add to its success with more players committing to the single player and online experiences rather than to keep swapping it out for another game that released within weeks of it.             

If you want to comment on this piece, please comment below or email me at adam@gamerscastpodcast.com if you want to get in touch with me.

Editorial: How Will Game Center Change iPhone Games?

Earlier this week, Apple announced the all new update to iPhone known as iPhone OS 4.0. It will be released this Summer for iPhone and iPod Touch and this Fall for iPad. Some of its most important new features include multitasking, the ability to organize apps into folders, change the wallpaper, iBooks, and iAd, a new way of doing mobile advertising. For gamers, the new app and feature known as Game Center may change how games are played on iPhone.

Game Center will be a unified social gaming network from Apple. You will be able to invite friends to games, do matchmaking, look at leaderboards, and score achievements. It pretty much has all of the standard features one would expect from a social gaming network. It will work with any game that wants to support it. I think it is great that Apple has listened to its fans and saw just how many games are on the App Store and how many different social gaming networks there were on iPhone. Having one unified account will make things so much simpler but in the beginning, there might be some problems.

There are already numerous social gaming networks on the platform. The most popular include Plus+ from Ngmoco and OpenFeint by Aurora Feint but there are a handful of others. According to Scott Forstall, SVP of iPhone software and Apple CEO Steve Jobs during a Q and A after the press event, they stated that some of these networks wanted Apple to create one unified service. They were not specific on who asked. Many of those in charge of some of the most popular gaming networks on iPhone stated that they loved the idea of Game Center and want to support it. Will the existing social gaming networks on iPhone die? Yeah, they probably will. My only fear is that my achievements from other games of the different gaming networks will not transfer over to Game Center. Apple should work on a way for other social gaming networks to migrate a user's account with their progress and achievements. This might be the only way to ensure Game Center is the only network on iPhone.

Games will be sure to come out on the network and offer easy ways to get achievements. The ability to see other games that your friends are playing might persuade you to buy a game in order to play it with others. It will be easier to find out what friends are playing and boost the sales of games on iPhone. Game Center has a huge opportunity to help games and social networking become even better on iPhone.

Editorial: How Will 3D Change the Future Of Gaming?

If you have been keeping up with the news surrounding CES or the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas this week, you may have noticed one of the hugest trends at the show is 3D HDTV. Just about every major TV company introduced at least one 3D TV model for consumers to purchase. The first 3D televisions will arrive as soon as Spring. These televisions will require shutter glasses in which each lens darkens alternatively creating a 3D picture. Sony has shown off many games including Motorstorm, Wipeout HD, Super Stardust HD, and Gran Turismo 5 all running in 3D. PlayStation 3 will receive a firmware update this year allowing it to play 3D games with your new 3D TV. A separate update will allow it to play 3D Blu Ray movies.

I have always been a huge supporter of 3D. I love seeing 3D movies at the movie theater and would love to have that same experience in the home. The experience in the cinema uses a dual projector and a special screen to make the image viewable with plastic 3D glasses. Some movies like X-Games 3D, Toy Story Double Feature, and Avatar have seriously impressed me and have shown 3D is not at all a gimmick. It is a way of making the experience more immersive, as if you were peaking into the window of another world. However, when I saw The Final Destination in 3D, I did look at it as a complete gimmick. It did not use the technology to the scope that other movies had. And unlike My Bloody Valentine 3D, it did not hide the fact that the movie was absolutely terrible. As you can see, I have a lot of experience with the new digital 3D technology in the theater.

When surveyed, more than 60% of people who walked out of a 3D movie have said that they want this technology in their home. Although content will be scarce for launch, 3D TVs will become more popular, speculated to be selling in the tens of millions in 2014. When I went to actually see a 3D TV in action, the response sounded nothing like this. SonyStyle stores currently have Sony's new 3D Bravia TVs releasing this Summer on display with 3D content showing on them. I went today to my local SonyStyle store, just one of less than 45 locations to check out the 3D experience. I got to play Wipeout HD on the 3D display. As I was playing, many people around me were saying very negative things about the TV and the experience in general. I will admit that although playing Wipeout HD in 3D was a much better experience than playing in 2D, I was not impressed by this piece of content. The 3D TV worked perfectly as it was supposed to. There was no issues concerning the glasses which felt comfortable. Because of the shutter glasses, the colors were a little darker but unlike the red and blue anaglyph glasses, all the colors were clearly there which makes it not a big deal. It made the track feel longer and made you more aware of the vehicles passing but it really did fail the show the potential of 3D.

People think that this thing is gonna be very expensive and not worth it. People also have an issue with wearing the glasses. The truth is that when uneducated (when I say that I mean they do not know much about technology) consumers see new technology for the first time, they think with their wallets and not with their heads. If you tell them the idea of the product rather than showing it off, they then think with their heads. The truth is that 3D TVs will cost as much as the high end HDTV models currently available, much cheaper than when HDTVs first came out. The shutter glasses will be expensive costing between $50-$100 per pair. Just like you wear headphones to listen to music, you wear 3D glasses to enjoy 3D content on a screen. I even agree it will be a huge problem when there is not enough glasses to go around but glasses-free 3D will arrive within the next 5-7 years when the technology is the same experience and resolution as the glasses technology.

Through my two minute experience, I can say that 3D will bring a lot to the future of home entertainment as it has brought to the cinema. 3D video games will be amazing and will immerse the player more into the game. NVIDIA's GeForce 3D Vision technology for PCs has been a hit with gamers bringing more than 350 PC games to life in 3D. This does require a new monitor and $200 software with shutter glasses included but that clearly is currently the best way to experience games in 3D and gamers who have adopted the technology love it. There is a huge amount of potential for 3D in the home and especially with 3D games. Once it becomes even more affordable, many of these negative thoughts by consumers will drop and all there will be in the future are 3D TVs. Like the jump from standard definition to high definition TVs, the jump to 3D will be one that will happen at twice the speed and video games will shine as it will be the way we play games in the future.

If you have any questions or comments, please contact me at adam@gamerscastpodcast.com

Editorial: Why No Negative Ad Campaigns Between Consoles?

There is a lot of talk about advertising in the games industry about ads and how to advertise. The reason I bring this up is because AdweekMedia has named Apple's "Get A Mac" ads the ad campaign of the decade. These ads revolve around a very negative campaign slandering the PC market as a whole saying that no matter how much the Windows operating system improves, it is still complicated to use and is slow with many potential viruses that can make its condition worse. So, what does this have to do with the video game industry? The video games industry does not do enough negative ad campaigns. I am not saying they should start but its just interesting how Sony is not specifically saying that the Wii is underpowered and that an Xbox Live subscription and Wi-Fi costs extra on Xbox 360.

While Sony is saying it has everything the other consoles do not have right out of the box, they are not targeting a specific console. In fact, there has only been one negative ad campaign between consoles. Those ads were from Sega about their Genesis console. Sega claimed that "Genesis does what Nintendon't." The ads made the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System) feel like an aged console. Genesis at the time had double the power of the NES. It made Nintendo's system look like something for children while Genesis was a system with games that satisfy mature gamers. They were able to prove their point years later when Mortal Kombat for Genesis showed blood while the version on SNES (Super Nintendo Entertainment System) had "sweat" instead.

Sega really put a dent in Nintendo's sales with their negative ad campaign. It targeted its competitor head on and made Nintendo gamers a stereotype. Sega implied that Genesis was for cool people and that helped them in the long run of Genesis's lifecycle. We have not seen any such ad campaigns since. Game software will never be negative because like the film industry, the ads are meant to say what is great about the product and not compare it to other products in the market, claiming its superior. Like all movies, all games are different.

Next year, Sony and Microsoft will introduce their own forms of motion controls to compete with the Wii and get casual players to buy their systems. Both the PlayStation Motion Controller and Project Natal are superior to Wii's motion controls even with the MotionPlus attachment. If Sony and Microsoft do not target the Wii saying that it is a worse experience than what they are offering, I do not know how these new peripherals will fly off the shelf. Of course, in order to make such claims, they must have the software to back it up. I think that just showing people having fun with the compatible games will spark interest, but will overall not put a dent in the sales of Wii consoles.

It is playing dirty to slander the competitor but if you look at Apple's ads, you will realize how effective negative ad campaigns can be in the market. It is very rare for a video game hardware company to directly slander another competitor. This may be Microsoft and Sony's keys to victory with tech specs alone proving their motion controller methods are a better experience. We wil have to wait and see what happens in a battle which so far has no slander or hate.

I would like to hear your comments and opinions about my first editorial. If you would like to share your opinion with me about this topic or suggest a new topic for my next editorial, please shoot me an email at adam@gamerscastpodcast.com.

Editorial: Game Ranking Lists fair?

We at GamersCast recently decided to start a new editorial section for the site. It's currently being built and polished so, bare with us for the time being. Until then, here's our first one.

Alright, I decided to kick off the new editorials section with this one, especially considering what happened to me today. I'm going Christmas shopping for my family and I know my sister's Gameboy Advance broke, and she's been bitching around about not be able to play her old Gameboy Color games. So, I walk into GameStop to pick up a refurbished GameBoy Advance SP. But when I go to check out he says he'll give me an Edge card (discount card on used games) and a year's subscription to Game Informer for a year. So, naturally it seems like a good deal at the time, so I go for it.

The man gives me the 200th issue of Game Informer, and upon opening it I notice they count down their Top 200 Games of All-Time. First thing I found odd was that unlike a normal count down, they counted up and started at #1 working their way upto #200. That I was willing to let slide, but once I saw the actual selection of games they chose to put on the list I didn't know what to think.

Going in, I expected the usual Top 10 competitors to be where I usually see them. You know, Ocarina of Time, Mario 3, Resident Evil 4, etc. And granted, they were all there, but the order they were in puzzled me a bit. Here was their Top 10:

10 - Ms. Pac-Man
09 - Super Mario Bros. 3
08 - Final Fantasy III
07 - Metoid
06 - Doom
05 - Half-Life 2
04 - Grand Theft Auto III
03 - Tetris
02 - Super Mario Bros.
01 - Legend of Zelda

Now, most of these choices I had absolutely no problem with. I was actually quite content with most of them. Personally, I would have made many changes to that countdown (or countup in this case), but that's their opinion, and their entitled to it. But when you go further and further "up" the list you begin to wonder why certain games were ranked above others.

Obviously, while the original Legend of Zelda was ground breaking, most gamers will say that other, later installments to the series were far superior, such as Ocarina of Time, which ranked at #20, or A Link to the Past, which was ranked at #12. So, this would lead such people to believe that the original was given the honor simply for being the original, and therefore the most "classic".

But if you go by that simple logic, then why was Ms. Pac-Man #10, while the original Arcade version of Pac-Man was ranked all the way back at #52! Surprisingly, ranked right after Pac-Man at #51, is Super Mario Galaxy. When I saw that bit, I didn't know what to think.

So, how exactly are these lists compiled? Are you judging them by which had superior game mechanics, most classic, most ground-breaking, or what!? It makes little to no sense at all how these lists even come around at times. It forces you to compare unlike things. They say you can't compare apples to oranges, but in the end, aren't they both fruit? How can you compare an arcade game like Ms. Pac-Man (#10) to an MMORPG like World of Warcraft (#11). You simply can't.

And again, going back to how classic a game is. If you are going by the term "classic", then by the dictionary's definition it would be, "of the first or highest quality, class, or rank". Hmmm... "first or highest quality", what exactly does that even mean? You could say Legend of Zelda came first, but does that make it of the highest quality? When I think of something "classic", I think of something that has been around for a while and stood the test of time, showing its true worth and value.

But if that's so, than why on Earth is a game like Borderlands listed, when it was reviewed in the very same issue as the list itself!? Yes, it is a great game, but top 200 worthy? Especially at #134? That may not sound very high on the charts, but to give you an idea, it beat Super Mario RPG, which was listed at #148. It's no doubt Mario RPG holds a special place in many gamers hearts and no doubt a classic. Or is Borderlands "better" it is, as Game Informer calls it, "an instant classic." Super Mario RPG came out in 1996 and was considered the swan song of the Super Nintendo. We're still raving about the game 14 years later, will we be saying the same about Borderlands in 2023?

So, when lists like these are made, what standard are they compared to? Are these games compiled from the best review scores? From the popularity and lasting appeal of the game? Or from some other unknown measure? No matter what the case, it all just comes down to just a simple matter of opinion. The fact of the matter is, what game a actually the greatest of all-time, we may never know.


Note: This is the first editorial we made, and we're hoping to do more in the future. So, to help get this new section of the ground, we want feedback on what you think of the article. Either comment in Blogger below, or shoot us an e-mail over at GamersCast@GamersCastPodcast.com>. Thanks and hopefully we can further expand this section in the near future.

GamersCast Editorials

Hey everyone!
Well, as part of our "holiday cleanup" (yes, that's what I'm calling it) of the GamersCast website, I decided I'm gonna launch an editorial section. Now, you may be wondering, why on Earth I would do this. I mean, technically, the podcast episodes alone could be considered a sort of audio editorial, so why make an actual section for them?

Well, here's my answer. All too many times we are, as I like to say "between episodes", a point where we just finished an episode and it's too soon to record a new one right away, so I can still get my opinion out of the way and in the open for you guys to enjoy.

Plus, having time to digest my opinion, come next podcast episode after an editorial is released, we can discuss it further, making mention of the feedback I may have gotten to that article. So yes, getting feedback is essential for making this thing work out. So, please if you ever have anything you ever want to say to us, please e-mail us over at: GamersCast@GamersCastPodcast.com

Be on the look out for GamersCast's editorials soon. They will begin to appear in the news feed along with the other news items, and seperate links to see only our editorials will appear soon.