Tag: monopoly

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gamescom 2013

Tomorrow, August 21, is the start of this years gamescom. The event has been held annually in Cologne, Germany since 2009. E3 is a big deal but Gamescom is the worlds largest gaming event. Gamescom is different than E3 because it is open to the public where as E3 is closed to the general public and is an industry only event, although if you apply early its not unlikely that a regular person could get a press pass to E3.

 

Obviously there is a lot of excitement for Gamescom this year. ( By the way really struggled with how to write it, Gamescom or gamescom because the official logo is stylized with a lowercase G. ) New consoles have been announced and their launch window is only a few months away. For Sony and Microsoft this is election year. E3 is where our potential candidates make their opening statements and this year the statements were very loud and polarized the entire gaming nation. Gamescom is like the next big debate for which console we should vote/pay for.

 

Sony to their credit really only revealed one completely new title ( The Order 1888 ) at E3 and still succeeded in one of the most exciting E3 conferences of all time with their announcements of consumer friendly policies. Microsoft on the other hand has been in a state of constant tailspin since the reveal of the XBOX One before E3. Mandatory Kinect functionality, restrictive DRM policies, poor explanations for XBOX One features and just plain arrogance on the part of former head of Microsoft’s interactive entertainment Don Mattrick did substantial damage among new and longtime gaming fans alike. Since E3 Microsoft has fought a steep up hill battle trying to win back the gaming community however recent consumer polls have shown that roughly 80% of those considering a new gaming console are in favor of Sony over Microsoft.

 

Their is plenty to look forward to this year at Gamescom. Which from the description sounds like its more like a videogame festival with rock and roll concerts and other entertainment throughout the event. Electronic Arts has promised a big announcement in regards to Europe’s largest sports franchise, so basically a FIFA 14 announcement. Earlier this summer president of Sony Entertainment Europe Jim Ryan commented when asked by a member of the press about Sony’s somewhat smaller showing of new games at E3 for Playstation hardware compared to rival Microsoft that its a long year with lots of gaming events and that Sony has a lot going on but had to hold some stuff back saying that they would still need some new stuff to show at Gamescom. Jim went on to say that the president of Sony Worldwide Studios for Sony Computer Entertainment alone currently has 30 titles in development, 12 of which are brand new Intellectual Properties and overall 20 of the 30 titles in development will be shipping in the launch year of the PS4.

 

Meanwhile Microsoft interpreted the negative response to the XBOX One unveiling as having something to do with the fact that they mostly only showed the TV capabilities of their new system and not a lot pertaining to actual games. The backlash resulted in Microsoft showing a huge amount of games at E3, even the segue between game announcements had commercials for other games. Since the negative response to the XBOX One had a lot more to do with the horribly restrictive and poorly explained policies of the new system and not so much to do with the lack of games shown at its unveiling, the plethora of games shown at E3 combined with Sony really sticking it to Microsoft by announcing more consumer friendly policies and a $100 cheaper price tag, did very little to improve Microsoft’s image with consumers.

 

If Microsoft continued on the original path they had in mind for its new system it is likely that the XBOX One could very well have been known as the Damien of gaming. ( See the Omen ) Anyway Microsoft did what they did and the damage has been done. ( I still can’t believe Microsoft sent employees to BestBuy’s around the country to discourage customers from buying the Wii U. ) Policies have been overturned and management has changed. They say necessity is the mother of invention, I would have say its pretty necessary for Microsoft to show the world that they really have changed for the better and they still have great things planned.

 

Gamescom this year promises to be really memorable. Developers will be showing off their latest and greatest software. Sony will try to continue the awesome momentum it has had this year. Microsoft no doubt will try to redeem itself. One of the most interesting parts of Gamescom is that this will be the first event where regular people who aren’t press related will be able to go hands on with the PS4 and XBOX One. We will get honest feedback about how these systems really operate from people with first hand experiences. I for one can not wait to hear what they have to say.

 

There is no doubt that Gamescom is primed for some exciting announcements. I will give highlights so keep coming back to find out the latest about the greatest things from Gamescom 2013.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

 

 

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XBOX One News

Hey remember yesterday when it was reported that Microsoft had finally come to their senses and were no longer making the Kinect a mandatory piece of hardware for the XBOX One? That was a relief huh? Finally you could use the XBOX One to play videogames like a normal person again, not shouting expletives across your living room at people causing you injustices in online multiplayer games, or worried a troll will yell out “XBOX turn off!” in the middle of an epic boss battle? That was pretty great wasn’t it? The best part of no longer needing a Kinect to play videogames means that we no longer need to pay for a Kinect to play videogames. Well, not exactly. Everyone who would buy an XBOX One now that the system is obviously cheaper since Kinect is no longer a requirement take one step forward. Not so fast! Turns out that even though the XBOX One no longer needs the Kinect to function you still have to buy the peripheral with the system.

 

Yes, I wish I was kidding but Microsoft is insisting that the Kinect still be included with every XBOX One. This action is one of “What the hell?” I mean it is widely documented the unpopularity of Kinect and making it optional is a good move but you are still going to force people who don’t want it to buy it? At this time Microsoft has made no comments on the possibility of an XBOX One package without the Kinect, so for the foreseeable future anyone who gets an XBOX One is getting a Kinect. This decision is hard to accept considering that part of what makes the PS4 more appealing is that it costs $100 less than the XBOX One. This was Microsoft’s chance to price the XBOX One more competitively but no apparently Microsoft thinks that everyone needs Short Circuit’s disembodied head whether they want it or not.

 

It gets better though. Microsoft today has announced that 8 of the 21 countries that were supposed to be getting the new XBOX upon launch day this fall will now have to wait until “as soon as possible 2014.” ( Don’t worry though one if those countries is not the U.S. ) Apparently Microsoft is saying they jumped the gun and were too ambitious with their goals. Issues with region specific languages and dashboard content are being touted as some of the larger concerns right now. This is yet another thorn in the side of Microsoft as they try to compete with Sony for the title of top next-gen console. The 8 countries removed from the initial launch window this fall are Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, Norway, Finland, Russia, Switzerland, and Sweden. Previously Microsoft had already announced that Japan would not be getting the XBOX One until 2014. The 13 countries still getting the XBOX One on its original launch day are Austria, Australia, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Spain, United Kingdom, United States, and New Zealand.

 

While the countries omitted from the XBOX One’s initial launch window aren’t exactly in the biggest gaming markets it still doesn’t reflect well on Microsoft who have struggled greatly with the concept of what they wanted their new console to be versus what the people want their new console to be. Since the XBOX One was revealed last May a fierce war between company and consumer has been waged. Every time it felt like the consumer has won a battle against an unpopular feature on the XBOX One Microsoft has found a way to ruin that victory for everyone. The restrictive DRM was taken away, score one for the consumer, Microsoft takes away their poorly explained family sharing feature, everyone loses. The always online requirement is taken away, now people including soldiers overseas without a solid internet connection can still enjoy videogames in their downtime, then Microsoft announces that a day one online download is still mandatory for the XBOX One to function offline. Most recently with the news that the Kinect is no longer necessary for the XBOX One to function Microsoft insists that Kinect still comes in the box. Are you seeing a pattern here?

 

Microsoft has stated recently that at this years Gamescom event in Germany that they have some big exclusives yet to unveil. One exclusive is said to have something to do with Europe’s biggest franchise of which I am almost certain deals with the FIFA franchise. Hopefully whatever Microsoft does at this years Gamescom its something positive.

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Follow Sonic Mercury on Twitter @SonicMercury and like our Facebook page Sonic Mercury

 

 

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Madden-ness

Football season is coming! In less than two months “America’s favorite pastime” will begin again. I myself am a big football fan, although my devoutness has suffered a bit in recent years due to my suspicion of a WWE like structure being instated behind the scenes and a general distrust of Roger Goodell, but that is a whole other story. The story at hand is video game related I swear.

With every new season of football comes a new iteration of the blockbuster football video game franchise Madden. This year in fact is the 25th anniversary of the first Madden. Honestly that is really commendable considering how hard it is for any franchise to grab hold with an audience, let alone still be relevant a quarter of a century after its original appearance. A new entry in the Madden franchise sells several million units every year. There is of course the dreaded Madden curse which seems to effect whichever NFL player graces the cover of the game each year, if you haven’t heard of it look it up its eery to see how many players have bad seasons the year they were on the cover of Madden.

There is something else though that is beginning to feel more and more like a curse, Electronic Arts’ deal with the NFL to have exclusive rights to make games with the NFL license.  I have grown up with the Madden franchise and once the NFL Blitz arcade style football game started to get stale Madden was the football video game me and my friends would play. Nowadays though I am really sick of the Madden franchise. The ongoing joke is that getting a new Madden game is just getting the old Madden game with a new coat of paint. I think the issue has become worse than that though. With new entry’s into the Madden franchise fans aren’t just getting a new coat of paint, they are getting “innovation.” Sometimes this works well enough, I personally enjoyed a few years back when QB vision was a feature in the game, but last years new physics engine was a mess. Players tripped and fell walking into each other or on invisible objects.

I will say this though, Madden 13 was the first Madden I had played in about five years I really enjoyed after I bought it. Yeah the players on the field looked goofy in between plays but during actual game play I had a good time. Madden was fun again. I could run a play and pass the ball and felt like the game was actually fair in all aspects, offense, defense and special teams. Everything felt balanced. Then like six weeks in there was an update to the game and all of the sudden the ghosts of Madden’s past came screaming back. Linebackers could suddenly jump ten yards again in all directions, receivers couldn’t catch a cold, the game felt broken. Which makes me think that there is a mentality at Electronic Arts, I am sure they would deny because they basically have to, that they don’t have to actually finish the Madden title they are working on because they can always finish it or “fix” the game with a patch down the line.

About a day or two after that first patch last year me and everyone, and I am not exaggerating, everyone I knew stopped playing Madden. We just felt burned again. Finally for the first time in years the game was fun again and just like that it was taken away and all the issues that I just listed in the last paragraph and that most people I have talked with about the Madden franchise, came flooding back. I for one am sick of it.

The exclusive rights deal that Madden and Electronic Arts have together expires this year. It seems most likely that they will simply renew the contract as both parties have done in previous years. I am sure there might be some minor alterations as far as money is concerned between the two but for everyone looking in everything will appear as it has been for what feels like the dawn of time. This isn’t intended to be a rant against the Madden franchise itself so much as it the fact that Madden is the only football video game that you can buy, that’s what sucks. I think that the Madden franchise should continue on, with one condition, Madden is no longer the only NFL licensed video game from here on out.

Competition is exactly what is needed. If Madden had to compete against other games with the NFL license maybe the ghosts of Madden’s past would finally be cured and they couldn’t come storming back with a patch because those bugs still exist within the main Madden code. It would be really refreshing to have a choice when it comes to buying a NFL licensed game. The consumer could finally hold Electronic Arts accountable if they made an inferior product. “This year’s Madden kind of sucks maybe the other franchise is better.” Even if you are a die hard Madden fan you know the game would be better if it was forced to compete with other football games instead of just doing whatever they feel like. I am sure argument can be made that the Madden franchise has innovated over time but I am forced to wonder how much more would have and still could be done if the Madden franchise had some healthy competition.

When researching this topic (I know right? I actually research my topics) I heard a similar argument pop up over and over. The argument basically goes like this. Every other football game with the NFL license has been out of production for almost ten years now even if 2K Sports, EA’s biggest competitor, were to get back the rights to make an official NFL licensed game it would be terrible because they just don’t have a team that is familiar with making a competitive NFL simulation style game anymore. 2K Sports would have to build a new engine from the ground up to make a new NFL licensed game. There is no way 2K Sports or any other game developer looking to make an NFL licensed game could compete with the Madden franchises yearly entries.

Tell you what, that is a great argument if you work for Electronic Arts or are one of their investors. For the rest of us that is some bold bullshit. If by some miracle the NFL, a money hungry billion dollar entity who loves to incessantly control its image and the people associated with said image, and EA, a money hungry billion dollar game developer who loves taking the NFL’s money, somehow fail to reach an agreement and the exclusivity deal between the two companies somehow falls through, (I seriously doubt it will) I can foresee an exciting new era of NFL games on home consoles. Especially now on the verge of a new generation of console gaming with the PS4 and the XBone coming out this fall.

Can you imagine a developer like 2K Sports finally allowed to make an officially licensed NFL game again? Developing a new NFL game from the ground up. Starting fresh. The prospect of a new entry to end the tyranny of the Madden-opoly seems not only liberating but a necessity. You can argue until your blue in the face about how great the Madden franchise currently is, and by no means am I saying its terrible, but there is no way you could possibly say it couldn’t be better. I understand that it would be quite a stretch for any developer to come out blazing with a new NFL licensed video game franchise to compete with Madden a year from now, what about the year after that? or the year after that?

The Madden franchise doesn’t need to go away it just needs a friendly dose of competition. Winning wouldn’t be so great if nobody lost. As long as the NFL and Electronic Arts are running hand and hand all the way to the bank everyone else loses. Is this exclusivity agreement even legal? Doesn’t making Electronic Arts the sole purveyor of an officially NFL licensed video game a monopoly? I am considering starting a petition against this agreement because as long as there is only one “choice” there really are no choices and well that just plain sucks. When it comes to something like games based on sports where there is a yearly entry I think it is paramount to have competition. As the old adage goes “when companies compete consumers win.” I want to win, don’t you?

 

-Z3R0TH3RT33N

Like the Sonic Mercury Facebook page and follow posts from Z3R0TH3RT33N and other contributors on Twitter @SonicMercury

 

 

 

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Micro$oft

                               Anyone who saw the XBOX ONE reveal definitely has to wonder what Microsoft is thinking. They took a department of their team wholly created for the purpose of home gaming and turned there next big console into a glorified DVR with voice controls and MANDATORY kinect units. Watching the XBOX ONE reveal was like watching Microsoft slowly commit gaming suicide for an hour. Oh I know E3 will change everything. To be fair it is totally within the realm of possibility that Sony can still mess up at E3, but now with the confirmation that  XBOX ONE has to be connected to the internet once every 24 hours for your games to work and you can only lend a game to ONE of your friends, allowing of course that they have been your XBOX live friend for over thirty days makes the next generation of gaming look pretty grim.

-Z3R0TH3RT33N