E3 in a Nutshell, Console Wars, Where do you stand?

This week there was a leap forward  in the gaming industry; not only in the sense of physical hardware, but gaming in general. Every publisher and major console laid out their plans for next year. It will definitely be a learning experience for both sides, as each console has seemed to spur out in different directions. The real question is who came out on top? Who are the individuals that won over the majority of gamers? What should you look forward to in the upcoming year? My goal is to give you my honest opinion and help you formulate where you stand in the console wars.

The conference started off pretty typical with Microsoft bringing out its 14 exclusives, some old, some new, but all showing off for the Xbox One. They are also going to keep many of there timed exclusive, such as receiving Activision’s Call of Duty: Ghosts DLC a month earlier than any other console, along with EA’s Battlefield 4 map packs, which will hit Xbox One first. You will also see a World of Tanks: Xbox 360 Edition, hitting live this summer. It will be free-to-play featuring 15-on-15 action.

New IPs:

1. Ryse: Son of Rome

2. Quantum Break

3. D4

4. Fantasia: Music Evolved

5. Untitled Black Studios Game

6. Titanfall

7. Project Spark

8. Sunset Overdrive

Old IP’s:

1. Dead Rising 3

2. Forza Motorsport 5

3. Halo for Xbox One

4. Kinect Sports Rivals

5. Killer Instinct

6. Crimson Dragon

Then, unexpectedly they laid out a new (3rd) generation of the Xbox 360. This version is suppose to replicate the visuals of its successor, the Xbox One, and was available the same day. Next, to thank Xbox Members they announced that Xbox Live Gold members will receive free games starting in July until the release of the Xbox One, starting with Assassin’s Creed 2 and Halo 3 as the first confirmed titles.

Also, if you have a Gold Membership as of right now or buy one before the release of the Xbox One it will transfer over after the release of the Xbox One. They finished off with the price and release date of the Xbox One, as following, November 2013 at $499.99.

In conclusion, I feel that Microsoft offered the most for there console game category over any other. They produced a pretty typical line up of games that will deliver and sale Xbox One consoles, but did they do what was in the best interest of gamers? It doesn’t seem like it. They still haven’t laid out proper details on how the used game process will be accomplished. They haven’t detailed if or how the Kinect Sensor can be disconnected. There also pushing out their console in a bundle with the Kinect Sensor even though many Xbox 360 users do not use it, making the cost of their console to be 20% higher than Sony, and 40% higher than Nintendo. I understand that Microsoft is trying to accomplish the all-in-one entertainment system, but the majority of their focus should be on their main customers, gamers. We are a long way from making everything digital on the cloud, and trying to push consumers out of their comfort zone may not be in Microsoft’s best interest.

Sony started out the conference backing there handheld device, Vita, saying that PS3 will still be firmly supported with games, such as Walking Dead & Tearaway for the Vita, and The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls for the PS3. Once again, Sony was sticking to what they do best: putting out quality games. Then they started to get into PS4 information. This was where Sony took off and stole the show by showing off there new stylish system.

PlayStation has always had its steady balance of exclusives, for example: third-party and indie games, that keep the loyal fan base coming back and newcomers coming in. It really didn’t surprise me when Sony didn’t stray to far from this initiative with third party games such as Watch Dogs, Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag, Elder Scrolls Online, Final Fantasy XV, and most importantly Kingdom Hearts III. Surprisingly enough there was a Mad Max game in the works by WBIE (Warner Bros.) and Avalanche Studios. They also have secured exclusives to Respawn Entertainment’s Destiny, unnamed at the moment, but this clearly is Sony’s answer to Microsoft’s timed releases for the moment.

New IPs:

1. Deep Down (working title)

2. DriveClub

3. Knack

4. The Order: 1886

Old IPs:

1. Killzone: Shadow Fall

2. Infamous: Second Son

Sony once again showed a initiative to push out more indie titles by unveiling a self-publishing initiative. This allows indie studios to bring their games to the PlayStation without publisher jargon. Thus, bringing on a decent size of indie games for the launch of the PS4, such as Transistor, Octodad: Deadliest Catch, Don’t Starve, Outlast, and Oddworld: Abe’s Oddysee New N’ Tasty. Sony’s announced games allowed for a well established presence and the new ones for fans to give a chance.

Then came huge news (see video below for the crowd reaction) and struck blow after blow towards Microsoft. Starting off, Sony stated that DRM will not be on used disc-based games and that you will not be required to do online check-ins even if you are a offline single-player only gamer. Then came the vital blow, pricing. The PlayStation will start out at a cost of $399.99, a substantial 20% less than Microsoft. The only downfall is that PlayStation Plus will now be required for online service, but this was countered by additional game content along with net-based media services that will be accessible.

With all the details provided by Sony and no sign of trying to hide behind unconfirmed details, they won E3 with a knockout. They have brought out a well established realm of games that will provide a taste to all types of gamers. They all might not be AAA Titles, but you will most likely find something that you will enjoy, leaving you satisfied as a gamer and feeling that you are making a smart investment. Even though you may have to bite down more than in the past and pay for online services, you would be forking out the exact same payment on Xbox for Live. Hopefully by making these a requirement, the online standard for the PSN will rise to the same as Live. The only upper hand Microsoft still has at the moment is there online services. There really isn’t much difference between Sony and Microsoft anymore other than exclusives and timed releases. Things are looking like Sony took the first round, but there are many more to go until release. There will surely be an answer by Microsoft to Sony’s initiatives, so stay tuned.

Even though Nintendo didn’t hold a major press conference at E3 this year. They did stick to there blockbuster characters and essential Nintendo games that keep them as a established publisher in the industry, along with trying to keep up in the Third-Party market with some of the Triple AAA titles. Even though EA still hasn’t decided to develop games for the Wii U, the handheld market for Nintendo will always be a strong point with the 3Ds and will continue to be in the future, especially with the support its going to receive. It seems they have mostly forgot about predecessor systems/handhelds such as the Wii and DS. They were not of focus or even of honorable mention during the direct broadcast, but for now, they are bringing out a powerhouse of games for the first year Wii U and support of games for the 3DS, such as:

1. Super Mario 3D World (Wii U)

2. Donkey Kong Country: Triopical Freeze (Wii U)

3. The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker HD (Wii U)

4. Mario Kart 8 (Wii U)

5. The Wonderful 101 (Wii U)

6. Bayonetta 2 (Wii U)

7. New Title by Monolith Software Inc. (Wii U)

8. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U & 3DS

9. Wii Fit U

10. Pikman 3 (Wii U)

11. New Super Luigi U

12. Mario & Sonic at the Sochi 2014 Olympic Winter Games (Wii U)

13. The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds (3DS)

14. Yoshi’s New Island (3DS)

15. Mario & Luigi: Dream Team (3DS)

16. Pokemon X and Pokemon Y (3DS)

Along with major list of third-party titles from the likes of Ubisoft, Squire Eniz, WBIE, Activision, and Disney for the Wii U and 3DS (*or Wii/DS depending on title).

Third Party:

1. Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag (Wii U)

2. Batman: Arkham Origins (Wii U)

3. Batman: Arkham Origins Blackgate (3DS)

4. Deus Ex: Human Revoulition – Director’s Cut (Wii U)

5. Disney Infinity (Wii U, Wii, 3DS)

6. Disney Planes (Wii U, Wii, 3DS, DS)

7. Just Dance 2014 (Wii U, Wii)

8. Rayman Legends (Wii U)

9. Scribblenauts Unmasked: A DC Comics Adventure (Wii U, 3DS)

10. Shin Megami Tensei IV (3DS)

11. Skylanders SWAP Force (Wii U, Wii, 3DS)

12. Sonic Lost World (Wii U, 3DS)

13. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell Blacklist (Wii U)

14. Watch Dogs (Wii U)

Once again, Nintendo was the first to release there console, long before E3, making there press release pretty tasteless, unorthodox, and seamlessly unimpressive. Nintendo has fallen onto this stricken path, trying to get the early market with their household games. Unfortunately, they didn’t have the same response as the Wii, which is partially due to the Wii U being a upgraded HD version of a Wii with a unique second screen feature. It really doesn’t fit into the market at the moment and it will be interesting to see how things play out for Nintendo. Even though they continually bring out the same games with a new layout, it seems to keep them afloat, but if they don’t sell any systems its hard to sell games. You can only hold on to the handheld market for so long. Handheld gaming changes a lot quicker than systems. The real question is how long will this last and how long will consumers buy this? I don’t have a answer to this question, but I feel eventually Nintendo may have to sell off the right to some of their beloved characters or games to keep themselves off the downward slope. These are just some predictions, only time can tell where Nintendo will be.

At the moment, I am leaning towards the PS4, not only because of the convenience of used games and pricing, but the fact that I know what I am going to get from Sony as a company and I really hope I don’t regret saying this. As of right now, I feel comfortable in saying that my initiative at this moment is to invest into a PS4. Not only is it your gaming system but it still has the quality of a blue-ray player along with many new possibilities in the future with the PlayStation Plus as a requirement. This makes me believe that it can fit into the living room and be your all-in-one system if you choose it to be. It doesn’t need to have fancy overlay features for your TV provider that allows you to interact with your broadcast, but I can see how this may be of interest to consumers if Microsoft pulls this off. At this moment, there is no evidence of its capabilities or quality of software compatibility with TV broadcasts. Only time can tell whether or not this is a worthy feature in investing in for a Xbox One, but as of right now I can confirm that PS4 is a stable system with entertainment features that fit my needs, while also continuously providing me with a proper consumption of games to my liking.

In the future I may change my mind and end up investing in the Xbox One only or both depending on future details, as there are many quality titles that I would like to play in the future that Microsoft has as exclusives. Only time will tell the value of a Xbox One as a system. As for Nintendo, my sister owns a Wii U, that I play with her from time to time. It fits her needs, but I don’t need a second screen experience or a system with lack luster investment in a unique gaming experience or entertainment experience even, as a matter of fact, the only thing I find reasonable about the Wii U is that my sister can still play her games while I watch TV in our living room.

As a writer I hope you found this article helpful, make sure to stay tuned to ESG for news as it progresses. If you have any questions or opinions on my article feel free to write in the comment section below. Thank you for your time!

Contact the writer:

legendlike@evilsourcegaming.com