Next Gen Consoles/Games

 

                      

 

2013 is the year of Next Gen consoles, what with the Wii U coming out late last year, and the PlayStation4 announced in February. Though Microsoft hasn’t officially confirmed the release of an Xbox720, it is widely believed that it will be announced in the Spring or Summer. Along with these new systems, comes a new era of graphics and complexities in Video games. Also included in this Next Gen revolution are new games to go on these platforms. The Sony event introduced many, such as and Watch Dogs, Assassins Creed 4 Black Flag is included, and we all know Activision will most likely release a kick-ass Call of Duty game (Rumored to possibly be Modern Warfare 4).

Though the Wii U isn’t considered “Next Gen,” it is a significant leap from the low end Wii which was described by many as the butt-crack of gaming. The Wii’s graphics were generally worse than those of the old PS2. Though I haven’t wittnessed live, I’ve seen Wii U gameplay and it is equal to or just under the performance of the Xbox360 or PS3. The Wii U may be a good system for the low caliber gamer,but for a medium like me, The Next Gen from Xbox and PlayStation will be my first choice. The question is, which games should I get?

I am a fan of Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series, and definitely plan on pre-ordering ACIV. Along with that, Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs looks like y kind of game, so that’s in my shopping cart. But the thing is, I haven’t decided on getting the PS4 or not. Historically speaking, when Sony releases a PlayStation, a new, smaller version is released, generally better than the original. If I buy the PS4, I probably won’t get the PS4 Slim which is utterly certain to follow the next year. Decisions, decisions…

What do you all think?  What will be the best Next Gen console? Which games will you buy?

I’m anxious for opinions!

Stay Connected,

Sir_Brucian

New Game: Watch Dogs

So maybe you watched the official announcement of the PlayStation4, or maybe not, but I did. There were a lot of things in those two hours that intrigued me, especially the new Ubisoft game, Watch Dogs – a modern hacker-assassin type game that looks a lot like Assassins creed, but more on that later. The game’s debut gameplay at the event was enough to keep me interested in the game. take a look at what PlayStation’s YouTube channel just released:

 

If you saw the original video this would make more sense, but I digress.

Like I said before, the game reminds me of Assassins Creed, and if you ask me, it looks like it uses an engine similar to that of an Assassin’s Creed game. To me, this looks like a scrapped project for a modern set AC, but what do I know?

All in all, this looks like an exiting leap into the Next Gen console era, which as of now only includes the PlayStation4. Microsoft hasn’t yet confirmed suspicions about the Xbox720, but is rumored to do so this summer. Watch Dogs will most likely be released on all next gen consoles this holiday season, and I plan on pre-ordering it soon!

I’m anxious for opinions!

Stay Connected,

Sir_Brucian

Xbox vs. PlayStation

Anyone who plays PlayStation or Xbox probably has a friend who plays the other system. That friend probably constantly tries to convince you to buy their system and gives endless reasons on why it’s better. This feud between Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox has been going on since the beginning of the Video game Era. It can be compared to the debate between Apple Mac computers and Windows computers, except it’s not as simple. (Everyone knows that Apple is more expensive but generally runs better – it’s the consumer’s choice) This debate has it’s similarities regarding money.

Xbox users continually complain that drains their money as they charge them for every little thing. For Example, Xbox Live costs $60 a year, and without it, you cannot play online with friends. PlayStation Network, on the other hand, is free. The two consoles themselves are about equally priced, but there are many accessories that differ in price. For example the Xbox360 controller commonly costs between $20 and $40, while the PS3 Dualshock could be higher than $50. I one met a guy while playing Call of Duty online who said he was new to PlayStation because he sold his Xbox. When I asked him why, he said that it was too much of a burden in his wallet. So when it comes to money, more users go with PlayStation.

Of course there must be other factors that go into choosing a gaming system. One is performance. To be honest, I am a bit biased towards PlayStation, only because I was raised with a PS2 and PS3. But I am thinking about getting an Xbox and therefore am keeping an open mind. As far as performance goes, Xbox users generally claim that they possess the best graphics, and technically speaking, they are right to claim so. The Xbox CPU is more powerful than the PS3’s core which makes for better speed and capabilities. It also has a slightly more high-end than the one in a PS3. So strictly going by public opinion and hardware specifics, an Xbox is a more powerful machine.

An enormous determining factor for PlayStation and Xbox users alike are the games that are console specific. I’m talking about Halo (Xbox), God of War (PS3), Gears of War (Xbox), Uncharted (PS3), and all of the other highly rated games that are console specific. Some users claim that Xbox hold the greatest game in the world, Halo, which is a game that is well known as the greatest Sci-Fi FPS, and one of the most popular games in the world. Many people stay with their system because of the games they fall in love with. I, on the other hand, fell in love with the most popular and profitable game in the world: Call of Duty- which is available for all consoles and PC.

Many PlayStation users claim to have stuck with their system due to its convenient controller shape. I, myself, greatly prefer the Dualshock grip and button scheme. Some of my friends who play Xbox say that the Xbox controller is for “Man Hands” because it’s bigger and wider. This isn’t as big a factor as people think. If someone was given the choice between an Xbox that they’ve been playing for years, and a Playstation that they’ve never played before, they would probably choose the Xbox. It all boils down to what they were raised with.

Anxious for opinions!

Stay connected,

Sir_Brucian