The choice between console and PC has never been so clear.
It all starts with a box. It’s shiny, and it’s white, and it’s metal. It’s also empty, but it won’t always be this way.
Fire up the blogs, forums, and comments, people--the Console Wars are back!
On February 20th, Sony unleashed the opening volley in what could very well be the next generation of the fabled Console Wars with the introduction of the PlayStation 4. The message was clear: “We messed up with the PS3 and let our ego get the better of us. But we’re learning from our mistakes, and we’re taking the fight to our competitors.” From the opening song “Monster Hospital” by Metric to the strategic use of classic PlayStation cues for speakers at the conference, it seems like Sony is embracing the now storied history of the PlayStation brand and is ready for a hell of a battle with Microsoft and Nintendo.
It begins again...
I have always been a one-console guy. The cost of a second console has never been something I could justify, and I certainly was not going to afford Sony and Microsoft's High Definition money-vacuuming machines. With Twilight Princess looking pretty nice and the motion controls showing a lot of potential for interesting new gameplay ideas, getting a Wii in 2006 was a no-brainer.
This includes WiiWare and Virtual Console games, as well as saves.
Tonight's developer roundtable has brought to light that players will be able to transfer all of their Wii data to their Wii U. Purchased goods from the Wii Shop Channel, namely WiiWare and Virtual Console games, as well as saves can all be brought over.
Taking a page from cell phone companies, the Xbox 360 can be purchased on a contract at select locations.
Microsoft has announced an all new way to obtain an Xbox 360 for a much cheaper up front cost. The 4GB Xbox 360 console with Kinect can now be purchased at participating Microsoft stores for only $99. That is, when you sign up for a 2 year Xbox Live Gold membership at $14.99 a month. The coupon, featured above, can only be used at the 16 Microsoft stores scattered throughout the US.
Digital/non-traditional business generated almost half of retail games earnings last quarter.
Last week I wrote a blog which covered my take on Ben Cousins’ GDC presentation “When the Consoles Die, What Will Come Next?” In his presentation Ben went on to explain how he believes that the console era is near an end and mobile gaming will be the new platform of the future. While I agreed with Ben’s remarks, in my response I stated that some form of digital gaming will act as an intermediate between mobile and console gaming. Well, after taking a look at the some of the statistics from last quarter, it seems that we both may be right.
Content includes Sega Game Gear titles.
In a recent press release, Nintendo outlined their eShop release schedule for the coming month. A variety of titles are due for release, most notably the first batch of Game Gear titles from Sega.
The 12 characters won't be exclusive to the portable after all.
Capcom's Seth Killian told Shacknews that the 12 extra characters in the Vita version of Street Fighter X Tekken will eventually come to consoles. "We'll find a way to make sure that console fans are happy, as well," Killian noted.
Home console quality gaming meets the handheld market.
Mobile devices have put casual gaming at the frontlines of the handheld market, but Sony’s PlayStation Vita is a newly bred handheld beast with the power of current-gen gaming. It would be good to ask if Sony’s hardcore approach amongst the current casual gaming boom is a smart business move, but that can only be revealed in the near future. For now, we can only look at the Vita’s technical specs to judge the system. With that in mind, the Vita is a console with a lot of highs and only a few lows.
Though the game has seen release elsewhere in HD, Nintendo's barren Virtual Console landscape is getting a notable addition.
Wii fans holding out for a new Virtual Console addition hopefully won't have to wait much longer. Capcom is currently working on preparing the Genesis/Mega Drive version of Super Street Fighter II for release on the platform. Despite being released remastered in HD on XBLA and PSN, the game is still due to hit the Wii to capture the rest of the market in its original form - well, mostly. Online play is being integrated into the experience, allowing both US and EU gamers to go online with this well-regarded classic.
