E3 2013: The Year of Change

The Gaming industry is having one of the most anticipated years in recent memory as many huge topics have arose going into E3. Is Sony's new strategy going to bring more gamers to its PS4, will Microsoft's new console be a Game console or more of an entertainment Hub? Could Nintendo be committing the ultimate PR suicide by not having its traditional press conference? What's this "Announcement Event" Polyphony Digital is having? I look at these question as well as many of the storylines small and big both leading up to the event as well as the actual event itself and investigate the true meaning of these and give my take on what  is going on.



Nintendo Throwing in the Towel?

Its no secret that Nintendo has been on the downward spiral the last few years and the initial sales on their much billed Wii-U is not looking too well. The Gaming world was shocked when it was announced that for the first time since the debut of E3 back in 1995 that Nintendo would not hold their annual press conference at the event. As is the end result of mass hysteria (even interpreting it as Nintendo "not showing up at E3"), people naturally assumed that this is the beginning of the end for Nintendo, taking this as an indication that they are the rumored company pulling out of the Home Console gaming market. However, this isn't quite what's happening. What essentially has happened is Nintendo is only reducing its presence at E3, going from the big song & dance style presentation to private, closed off presentations only viewable by key people and shut off from various media outlets and TV networks. Why the reduction in presence? Two reasons. One is to aim these at a specific audience, the other is to control their presentations, leaving little for the media to alter it however they want. While they will not show up in style as they did since the inception of E3 like Sony and Microsoft are set to, Nintendo will be at E3. Whatever they show needs to really convince people that the Wii-U is worth buying otherwise their major reduction will be for nothing.

 

 

EA: Unnecessary Scapegoat or Justifiable Punching bag?

If there was ever one company that seemed to have gone from one dead end to another, Its EA. From the huge Backlash of the Mass Effect Ending Controversy to the now still painful sting of the Sim City Disaster, these are only the most recent reasons that seemingly anyone can choose to just bash and hate EA. But lets step back abit and really think about this: Is EA Really deserving of all this hatred? While I myself can also testify to EA's questionable practices (mostly customer service related), I don't exactly find myself willing to vote a video Game company the worst over Banks that forcefully forclose on homes (Bank Of America) or retailer chains of various kinds that discriminate against their own employees (Wal-Mart). Is EA really that bad of a company that it deserves this honor or are gamers too caught up in their self-entitlement to notice companies that have commited far worse? True enough Customers, employees and people in general have a right to protest the wrongful doing of a company but it appears that while its humorous in some regards, the right for people to express their displeasure like most things has been abused. I think equal blame should be placed both on EA AND the voting gamers at large. EA needs to seriously do its part to begin taking away any reason to be berated in such a way while people in a whole need to utilize a better way to show a company how much they don't appreciate their service and discourage their habits: Not with angry votes, but with their wallets.



Gran Turismo 15th Anniversary Event: Simple Celebration, or something much bigger?

For the last three days, GT fans have been treated to some of the most news they've gotten in a long while. As reported at my home site gtplanet, There is a big Special Media Event Schedule for May 15 from the Silverstone Circuit, the home of the Nissan GT Academy for the last 5 years. Speculation has run rampant for various reasons. Some debating the mysterious white car shown in the teaser video (which hasn't been seen in any previous GT games), Some are debating if bits of the footage is in-game or real. Some are debating whether this is a huge GT Academy announcement, or if this is about to be the site of  a major GT6 Announcement. There of course continues to be the question whether GT6 will be a PS3 title (which without question is where many of the GT install base is), or  a title on the still relatively un-shown PS4. After all this interesting news, here is my take on all this:


The Event: An announcement of everything

There is a continual feeling of something big coming along. These slow teases, the update to sites, the announcement of this event as well as the involved parties. A big event like this tells me we aren't getting just GT Academy and then there's the fact that GT Academy doesn't work if there is no platform. So we are getting a big announcement, whether its DLC for GT5 or an official acknowledgement for GT6, we are in for something big and we may even like what we are about to see.

GT6 looks set to be a PS3 console

There is this strange belief that GT6 on PS3 is a horrible idea, with repeated reasons such as "old Tech" and "It'll sell the PS4" and "it needs to be on the latest technology". What people need to realize is this: While Gran Turismo Is a Sony franchise, its not this playstation center of the universe people continually make it out to be.  In truth, Sony does not, and I repeat, does not need Gran Turismo to launch a console. Was it a launch title for the PS1? No. Was it a Launch title with the PS2? No. Obviously, it was nowhere near a launch title for the PS3  (which came out the year after GT4 was released) .GT fans need to realize Sony has plenty of big name IPs to launch its Console and the past two consoles as well as the announcement in February proved this. How many people outside of GT fans are talking about GT for the PS4? Not many and that's even assuming they know what Gran Turismo is. And then think about this: The Nissan GT Academy is useless without Gran Turismo game and seeing as the PS4 is in the phase of being unveiled at E3 and is likely still being finished up, that leaves the already finished PS3 still open for hosting GT Academy and an Install base that is far more willing to shell out cash for a game they know will likely retail for $59.99 as opposed to a console that still hasn't been shown or has full specs on it AND no official price set or release for it. So with all this in mind, I'm convinced this is a PS3 title. Just because the PS4 has more tech and more room to work doesn't necessarily mean GT6 needs to be on it. Sony is still supporting the PS3 (all the way until 2015 according to Jack Tretton) and with the PS4 already having its all-star lineup made (with more rumored on the way), GT6 is the one of heavyweights necessary to still keep the PS3 interesting while the finishing touches are being applied to the PS4.


Microsoft Xbox Reveal: What's going on?

After quite a lot of speculation, Microsoft is finally set to reveal its system May 21st in a special conference. This is an interesting development as it comes three months after Sony's PS4 announcement. A lot of talk has been interestingly negative, with many saying that it could be a "Always-on" Device, Microsoft charging twice the price for online or slapping on DRM for all its first party games. While I myself can't address anything specific on much of these rumours, I suspect Microsoft may have something more serious going on. The biggest thing I myself suspect is the giant shift from mostly gaming to mostly entertainment and social networking (something many gamers already hate.). What has brought about this thinking? Take a look at the E3s since the introduction of the 360. Notice how Microsoft has steadily been adding more & more entertainment based features while putting less & less interest on games. Its abit worrying to many considering Games were what made the 360 so good. I'm thinking the next console will still feature games but its focus will be mainly on the entertainment media. All these deals with these channels and providers constantly announced are seeming more & more indicative of a console that'll be more driven as an entertainment hub then as a console and if that ends up being the case, I don't see many good things happening with the nexbox.

Sony's PS4: What's Next?

Much of the Buzz for Sony's PS4 has been positive. Despite that they never showed the console itself at its initial announcement back in February, The overall mood seems good in general. With some of the specs already shown and the announcements so far. Here's what has so far made Sony look like they are on the right path:

1. Ditching the Cell

Often held as the main problem when it came to the development of games for PS3, The Cell Architecture will not return for the PS4, which is a good thing. Instead, it now boasts a layout identical to that of high-end PCs with x86 Architecture. It will also feature 8 GB of unified memory and a faster Blu-ray Disc drive. Immediately, this comes off not as a typical console setup but more like a PC setup and with that sort of familiarity, this can, and likely will, lead to far easier development for games.

2. Appealing to the Indie Developers

Its been widely publicized that apparently Microsoft has treated indie developers very poorly, one even quoted as saying that Microsoft exuded an "intimidating corporate vibe" as well as "canceled the release of his game on Live Arcade after he spoke out publicly about the inefficiencies of the process, forced him to resubmit the game through the arduous approvals process and go through an extra six months of negotiations that required him to submit the game through an outside publisher to get it released and then upon release of the game,  Microsoft released it on XBLA for $10 instead of $15 ". In contrast, there has been none of the same backlash towards Sony and according to the very same indie developer, likened dealing with them to a "“coffee shop chat". Throw in the " PlayStation Indie Arcade" event as well as the announced support of unity for PS4 and it looks like Sony is attracting the indie crowd like never before, ironically something that Microsoft had a huge advantage in at a time.

3. Dismissing the rumor

For a long while, it had been speculated that Sony was looking for extreme means to fight off piracy and the sale of used games via some kind of patent. However, this was denied as Sony announced that they will not prohibit the usage of second-hand games purchased in physical form.

So overall, Sony looks to be in position to leave the next Xbox behind just as its PS3 was left behind by the 360. This will only work however if Sony keeps this up.


Final thoughts  in preparing for E3

 So with all the topics covered, I offer a series of simply quick to-the-point suggestions of what I think all the mentioned parties should do.

Nintendo

Overall, its all about stepping up and delivering something that makes people want a Wii-U. They need more committed developers and fans otherwise they are done.

EA

Damage control. They not only have a controversy from one game, they now also have the still hot sting from the Sim City Release. They need to start repairing their reputation and still get people interested and even caring for their games again. More moments like with Sim City and they can expect to further lose profit.

Gran Turismo Anniversary Event

This event would be the perfect opportunity to cease all this back & forth speculation while putting out all the big news. Overall, PD need to deliver most if not all the goods. The GT Fans have waited way too long to any word and this would be a perfect time to actually let it all out.

Microsoft

Once May 21st rolls around, they need to come right out and confirm if any of these rumors are true or false. Unless the console does what its supposed to do in the first place first, then there's a very slim chance this new console will be topping the sales chart anywhere near what the 360 was able to do.

Sony

This company is so far going from Strength to Strength and they need to keep it that way. Their library of games so far and the tech shown is great but they most importantly need to get people excited for that PS4. Their PS Vita, which has met terrible sales much like Nintendo's Wii-U, could also use a lot of help and the huge support of Indie Developers may just be what they need to actually jump start that PS Vita.


That's it for me this time around. The first of this stuff we'll see is the Gran Turismo Special Media event on the 15th. I'll be covering all the stuff from it. See you soon.

Creative Fans, Free or Tolerated?

Over the course of the last ten years, you may have noticed a repeated increase in not so good quality Movies, Television and even Video Games. And if you have been really looking for the last 5 years, you might have noticed an increased strangle hold on what fans can and can't do with said media. With all this going on, it begs a question that more & more has to be asked: Are us creative fans of our favorite Movie/Television/Game Franchises really free to express our support and like for the media we love or are we only tolarated? This comes for multiple reasons, mainly due to cases where companies have gone to almost unnecessary lengths just to "Protect their profits" or "Their image". Things like legal action, not against another company or someone trying to profit, but against innocent fans who did something out of love and support for said media. Lets take two recent examples of this extreme, over-the-top nature.

Example 1: Porsche Vs. Enduracers

For fans of Simracing (especially that of the PC variety), modding is something that pretty much goes back to the beginning of PC gaming. It can therefore be concluded that simracing almost is built upon the modding community and the tons of faithful fans that have contributed. One of the biggest names in Modding is the Enduracers team, known predominately for their Le Mans Series Mod featuring the various cars from Sportscar racing series like the American Le Mans Series, the World Endurance Championship and the European Le Mans Series. Here is where the first example of this extreme control occurs: The team were planning and working on a new Porsche Cup Mod featuring the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car from the well known One-make series. However in September of last year, they were forced to halt it because Porsche had ordered them to stop work on the mod or they would pursue legal action (As reported here). What makes this odd and bizarre is the fact that the Enduracers team have not made one single profit from any of the mods they make yet they have been ordered to stop by a Company who surely has more money then the small team they are threatning. So just like that, the simracing Community now has been put on notice. What was once a free and seemingly harmful service done by passionate fans has come under the pressure of an actual entity and all for what? "Image" is what supposedly was the motive for this. What exactly is it about something as harmless as a free, non-profit mod that's so dangerous to one's "image"? As far as it can be worked out, this mod (or any other free, non-profit mod featuring their brand) appear not to have any intention of doing any sort of damage to this image they seem so overprotective of.

Example 2: Hasbro vs The Mane6

As is known by now, the Popular franchase "My Little Pony" has made a comeback and one unexpected effect it had was that it bought along a fanbase not solely of little girls, but that of boys ranging from the age of 18-35. The amount of support was over whelming as it lead to many fan-forums, tumblr accounts and even some talented fans in the form of various fanart, fanfics and even some supurb animators who have been popping up. For awhile, it seemed the fanbase had been embraced by Hasbro, to the point where many of their promos repeatidly refferenced to said fans (known as "bronies") and they even seemed to be on their side when at the request of the fans, they pursued and stopped someone from selling a sex plushie. However as of late, this has slowly started to become questionable as a rash of things have been done that seemingly suggest the complete opposite. Tons of fan videos have been removed from youtube, among them some very popular series. Now however, the final nails in the coffin may have been set by their most recent and most extreme course of action to date: A popular group called "The Mane6" are developers of a non-profit MLP-themed game called "Fighting is Magic".  For the last two years, the game had been in development and many were hoping to finally see it. As was the case with the Enduracers Porsche mod, this too was made by fans who were not at all profiting from this venture.  It too will now set in vaporware because they've been ordered to stop production of the game as reported by Equestria Daily. To make things even more crushing, most of the team is already split apart while many similar non-profit game makers are now laying low to point of not being noticed because of the fear that they may be next.

While these examples are of two different audiences and two vastly different markets, they both share one thing in common: Big entities scaring the poor fans who sought to make something in support of what they loved and for the people who love it as well. So again, are we creative fans truly free to share our love and appreciation for the said media we've come to love or are we just tolerated to a certain extent? As both someone who wants to be a video designer, this is a big issue for me. Actions like these are a slap to the face of the actual fans that pour thier passion into this and they'll never get an answer for said actions, just dissapointment and disenchantment with the very thing they loved. Its things like this that now leave me questioning if I should just stop with this career choice, if the fans no longer have a voice to the very companies that make their beloved media then what good will my contribution be? I'm not very passionate about the idea of being associated with a big entity that slaps down fan made work for the sake of "images" and "profit"

Venturing out (Introduction to my first Blog entry)

Greetings readers, I have finally decided to join the Blog craze. While its partially for class, its also a opportunity to begin making topics worth discussing outside of a forum while actually reaching out to a wider audience. Admittingly this a very short and brief one to start, but this one serves as my introduction and my initial plans for this blog. I will have many more longer and more content filled ones for the future. I've had many subjects on my mind but have never really gotten to actually share them in the way the blog allows you to. Whenever I find a subject worth discussing, I'll be engaging in it with a mind thats both knowledgeable on said subject to the best of its ability as well as open to reasonable debate.

As for my aformentioned class, I will be writing what I have done in it each day. I'll detail what was I learning, what I managed to learn and how I've applied it in the time spent on it. As it is a level Design class and deals with some very advanced and sophistacated software, it'll be naturally be drenched in detail and hopefully will serve as a good place to share my learning experience was well as hopefully educate those either are interested in just reading it or are considering a class of similar curriculum. In the end, I hope that all of this will be a beneficial learning experience as well as a fresh place to take my mind and get all my thoughts out in the open more clearly.