Kage_88

Sorry Sammy, I'm gonna have to disagree with you once more!

I thought this was a great E3. It seemed to be actually focused on substance instead of style.

Ironically, I thought Sony's conference was the most disappointing - not because of the content shown, but rather, the company's insistence on highlighting games that are way too far from release... though I suppose there's also PSX, Gamescom and Paris Game Show, too. I also wasn't too fond of how most of their big games have become Naughty Dog-esque 'cinematic' products; almost as if they were obligated to do so. But that's just me nitpicking. I'm still plenty excited for the games themselves. The VR showings were surprisingly good, too.

Microsoft had a solid show. What it lacked in megaton announcements, it made up for in actual solid content that's actually within reach. Again, the biggest announcement - the Xbox Scorpio - actually leaves me cold. Surely Sony and Microsoft know that engaging in such an arms race is utterly pointless? Sorry dudes, but I prefer Nintendo's philosophy - fun and innovation above grunt.

Speaking of Nintendo, Zelda simply blew away even my own lofty expectations. The fact that they could pull-off such a feat on the 'Wiik U' just reinforces my aforementioned opinions on console power. The other games they showed looked like a lot of fun, too. Paper Mario, Dragon Quest, Ever Oasis, Pokemon... The next 12 months look incredibly bright.

@playstation1995 I certainly hope that isn't your year of birth, PLEASE tell me it isn't.

"Naughty Dog has been leagues ahead of the rest of the industry when it comes to characterisation and writing for over half a decade now."

Disagree completely. ND's characters and writing have always been cringey ('edgy' Jak & Daxter), cliche (Uncharted), and unoriginal (Last of Us). IMO, you can't be the top tier of videogame characterisation when your stories are told mostly through cutscenes, and not via gameplay.

"It's the Xbox's fault!"

"Don't worry, the REAL game will run good on Neo and Scorpio!"

"That guy sucked!"

"Gameplay has never mattered as much as story and presentation anyway!"

Sounds an awful like the excuses used for the Platinum Demo.

"The game isn't finished yet! They'll clean it up!"

"This is only a TASTER, not a real demo!"

I want to play FFXV, but goddamn is the denial strong.

**Nintendo announces NX won't be at E3**

"L0LNINTEND00MED!!1!11"

**Sony announces PS4K won't be at E3**

"Let me lick Kaz's boots! Just one more time!!!"

Jesus, when did this place become NeoGAF?

Hajime Tabata is the bleeping man.

In terms of shocking announcements? No.

In terms of actual real, tangible software? Yes.

@MadAussieBloke 2006?

Nice. I hope we get a PS4K FFXV bundle, a release date for Last Guardian and FFVII Episode One, PS4 versions of Ni No Kuni, Kingdom Hearts and FFXIII trilogy... and FFXII HD.

... yeah I've been thinking a lot about this.

@JoeBlogs Yeah, you'd be better off playing the enhanced version of Ocarina on 3DS. Even when it was released, the N64 looked pretty muddy in places (even Miyamoto thinks it's ugly now). Still my favourite game ever, though. Actually, you reminded me of a big problem facing today's classic games - that they're in SD, so a big problem Sony, Nintendo and (to a lesser extent) Microsoft face is choosing whether to simply release them as they are, or go through the effort of remastering them in HD. Then, when 4K rolls around, they'll then have to do it all over again! I sometimes wonder if they should simply leave them as they are, warts and all.

Uncharted 2 is definitely a top-tier game in my list of PlayStation greats.

Number one though? Hmm... I'd have to say ICO or Shadow of the Colossus.

9/10

Woah. I have to wonder if Nintendo is seriously considering charging for a premium network service after seeing this. I guess I wouldn't mind, since I don't like playing online anyway - I just hope it doesn't get to the point where consumers have to pay to access basic stuff like DLC.

@MikLSP Yeah, I'm confused by that too...

Nintendo's clearly going through some big changes, and Kimishima stated that the decision to launch NX next year was because they wanted to ensure that there would be plenty of games ready - which is fair enough, I suppose. The whole E3 thing just furthers my opinion that the company simply doesn't see the annual event as being important as it once was - heck, even Sony have begun moving away from it with their Playstation Experience shows.

Sony have a tough enough job of their own to do; to sell the PS4 NEO and PS VR. The former in particular will be interesting, judging by the potential grudge held by 40 million people who may cry foul (justified or not). Not to mention a desperate Microsoft potentially pulling the rug by announcing their own souped-up/upgradeable Xbox One. They have the money to burn, and I wouldn't be surprised if they unveiled some big incentive for Xbox gamers (similar to the free Windows 10 editions of Xbox games, or free Xbox 360 titles we're seeing now). Hell, they could even pull a 'Sony 2013' by trolling the company and appeasing those disgruntled by the NEO.

It's certainly going to be an interesting couple of months.

'Kay Naughty Dog. Take your fingers out of your throats and go back to stealing some more UbiArt.

I'd pay some serious cash for a Scientology themed GOW.

"This time the news comes courtesy of the most trustworthy of venues: NeoGAF. [That was sarcasm - Ed]."

... And yet you guys still made a news story out of this.

I guess Microsoft will be offering them jobs, then?

Arrogance bites Sony on the rear once more.

Typically arrogant response from Sony.

Yeah, yeah, I'm a salty so-and-so, and it's all just a bit of fun. Still, it reeks of hypocrisy whenever Sony calls out a competitor, when the firm is infamous for stealing ideas. PS Move? PS All-Stars? Hell, even the PS VR can be seen as a purely reactionary device to other companies - especially considering Nintendo 'did it' in 1995.

English voice acting in Japanese games is usually terrible in general, unfortunately. It's a big reason why I'm terrified of Zelda embracing it - though I was a big fan of the fictional language used in Shadow of the Colossus.

It's something that's been plaguing Japanese titles more and more as videogames have become more realistic. Hideo Kojima spoke about this; how Japanese mannerisms, idiosyncrasies and cultural differences (no matter how minor) have become more and more jarring to Western audiences as they try to tell 'globally themed' stories.

Think about the 2D days of gaming. Back then, you could hardly tell what country a game came from, because everything was so much more simple. Tools were limited, and as such we got games that emphasised gameplay (well, the good ones, anyway) and creative solutions to primitive hardware (like Mario's design, or the stealth fare of Metal Gear). It was a universal way of design. As long as any text was in your native tongue, a game's national background was basically a non-factor.

Now in today's world, we have games like Final Fantasy that have struggled to find itself as graphics became more amazing and voices were added. Heck, I was playing Xenoblade Chronicles X (which is supposed to have a cast of Americans), and a woman BOWED to me in thanks during a quest. Just a regular café worker. Bowing. It took me right out of the game (nevermind the ridiculousness of everything else going on...)

Even high-end Nihon games like MGSV have the 'desu desu' undercurrent in its acting (thanks, Kaz).

9/10

My rebuttal: It's Doom.

Holy crap this game looks amazing.

Barring catastrophic reviews (looking unlikely), I'll be getting this day one!

@Gamer83 Reviving a long-dormant IP for PS VR would be ace. Imagine a new Medieval or Jak game - that'll garner some attention

@Gamer83 Hmm, fair enough. I personally think that PS VR only needing a PS4 to work will be its biggest selling-point - as well as its (likely) cheaper price. Still, all that means nothing of they don't properly support the thing.

Crazy. Playstation 4 is just in a league of its own. It's the PS2/Xbox/GCN generation all over again.

It'll be really interesting to see how PS VR does. I think it has more of a chance than Oculus Rift, at least.

@DominicanGlory Ah, the old 'Nintendo should go third party' chestnut. That NEVER gets old.

"you do know that ever since the NES, Nintendo has been on a steady decline outside of the lightning in a bottle scenario that was the Wii."

I always find this funny. Like, the Wii and DS somehow don't count, and that their success cannot be replicated ever again. Maybe NX will flop. Maybe it won't. I distinctly remember a time when many thought Apple was dead as a door nail, too.

"hell they even steered the course and made the ps3 the best of last gen despite a disastrous first two years."

That's purely opinion. What is FACT is that Sony lost billions, and the Wii caught both it and Microsoft with their pants down. They in turn scrambled for a response with things like PS Move and Kinect, whilst Nintendo had already made its cash.

"Nintendo is getting too small to justify making hardware for their ~10 million diehard fans."

66 million. You forgot the 3DS.

@NomNom "if NX fails to make a splash then Nintendo, as a home console developer is more or less finished."

Actually, Nintendo can suffer a quite a few more flops before calling it a day. Though I do agree that they definitely need to get their act together with the NX.

This whole 'third party' nonsense is such a blinkered and ignorant viewpoint. Nintendo, Sony nor Microsoft should exit the hardware space - if they did, it would mean less variety and competition, and result in a stagnant business where one company dominates all. Why in the hell would people want that? Because they don't like paying for another machine to play its exclusive games?

Imagine if there was only Windows - no Mac, or Linux. Or if there was only iPhone domineering everything. Why would you want one to be subject to the rules of another, whilst the marketplace shrinks? Why would you WANT big corporations to get even more bloated with power as others lose the independence to craft their products and create new stuff?

Stop being so damn short-sighted.

@Matroska "If the Wii "won", why was it discontinued so early compared to the other consoles, especially given that it released later than them? It sold a lot of units to people who had no interest in buying any games."

Are you seriously disputing the fact that the Wii somehow DIDN’T ‘win’ in the last generation? That its early exit from the marketplace somehow invalidated its success, as did its casual audience? By that logic, then maybe the PS2 was a big fat flop as well, since it sold a lot based on its DVD playback capabilities!

"This is just the thing, usually when a console sells well, it's a success in every way. The Wii was a failure in terms of staying power, it was a failure in terms of games sold outside of Zumba Fitness, Let's Dance and all that kind of crap."

‘A success in every way’. Okay, so how do you measure the Wii’s successes and failures, then? Amount of units sold? Profit made? Software quality? Because from my recollection, it had all of these. It had a load of shovelware – but so did the PS One and PS2. ‘Staying power’? Again, what’s your scientific barometer for measuring such a thing? It’s legacy? It’s longevity? Technically, the Wii lasted for six years (emphasis on technically), but even shaving a year or two off, it still lasted the average lifespan of a console.

A cursory glance at the best-selling Wii games gives me games like Mario Kart Wii, Smash Bros Brawl, Mario Galaxy, Twilight Princess and Donkey Kong. I would also say Wii Sports and Wii Fit – but those aren’t real games, apparently.

It’s true that 3rd party games sold poorly on the system… Aside from Zumba and Just Dance, apparently – though according to Wikipedia, Just Dance 2 is only the 17th best-seller on the system… So maybe, they didn’t shift as much as you claim they did? S**t, maybe NOTHING sold on the Wii? Maybe people bought the thing just to stare at it? Then again, the same Wiki article says that Wii software sales were at 895.22 million, whilst the PS3 was at 595 million and Xbox 360 at 353.8 million. That’s a hell of a lot of imaginary purchases.

"I've said it before, but in the duration that the Wii sold 90 million units, Skyward Sword only sold 250,000 copies."

Source?

"As for your sales thing, you can't combine a bunch of different things like that."

Why not? Because you say so? Alrighty then. Apparently that doesn’t stop Sony (or Microsoft) from combining THEIR hardware sales like they’ve done so many times in the past – but hey, if you say it’s wrong, then I may have to send a sternly worded letter to Kaz.

"Not only are the handheld and console markets totally different, with different demographics involved, the prices and ages are totally off. The 3DS has been out for 5 years and costs significantly less than a PS4 which has only been out for 2 and a bit years. People have spent more on PS4s in less than 2.5 years than they have spent on the 3DS in 5. It's also has 3 distinct models and several smaller iterations within some of those models (e.g. XL)."

And? You think I don’t know that? Different consoles are different. Wow, blew my mind there. I was simply addressing the widely-held misconception that Sony has more active units out there than Nintendo. As a matter of fact, I even said that PlayStation is selling faster.

"Like with all Nintendo stuff, the sales are about 50% just in the USA as well."

Again, source?

"The NES is Nintendo's best-selling console outside the Wii."

And DS.

"...yet the PS4 outsold its lifetime sales in Europe within a few months."

Gee, maybe that has something to do with that fact that the gaming industry has gotten a wee bit bigger in the last 30 years? Just a thought.

"...the PS3 actually outsold the Wii in Europe

Again, I'd like a source for this.

@shadowman1 "ps3 in the end won the last generation anyway"

So the Wii wasn't a thing? Who knew?

Even though PS3 eventually sold in excess of 80 million, it was still a bittersweet achievement, considering the absurd amount of money Sony lost because of it.

The PS4 is doing tremendously, though I'm reminded of Phil Spencer's comments regarding the misconception of console sales - shifting millions is pointless if the money isn't being made (though PS4 does make a profit for Sony).

@ShogunRok "In other words, if sales did determine people's enjoyment of gaming, you would have a PlayStation based avatar, because it's selling best right now."

Playstation is selling the fastest - but it hasn't sold the most. The brand is roughly equal to Nintendo in terms of units shifted (40 million PS4s + 8 million or so Vitas vs. 12 million Wii Us + 56 million 3DSes).

Nevertheless, it IS pretty silly to use sales as a barometer for enjoyment. What's the point of obsessing over a multibillion dollar company's finances, when there are a multitude of suits who get paid the big bucks to do so?

Funnily enough, I think this OCD behaviour has risen because of the internet. So much information is available to us 24/7, we now know every single little thing that happens with Sony/Nintendo/Microsoft et al... Things that have ALWAYS happened, yet weren't public knowledge in the old days, because all we had for information were magazines - and magazines were all about fun. I remember loving the Gamecube, Xbox and Dreamcast - and only having a vague idea of how well they were selling. Sure, numbers would occasionally get reported, but it mattered so little back then...

EDIT: Oh, and like @get2sammyb has said, I also prefer to play on consoles - I always have, and probably always will. I simply cannot stand PC gaming; having to worry about parts and compatibility issues constantly, spending stupid amounts of money for slightly nicer-looking games, and the other annoying computer-related issues that give me massive headaches. It doesn't help that I generally don't care about the latest tech, and that I prefer easy, painless systems that focus on fun and immersion instead of banal resolutions and framerates.

@TeslaChippie Sounds like the games just aren't for you. Nothing to be ashamed of, haha. There are plenty of popular games I myself don't like - it's just human nature to enjoy different things.

In other news; a butchered, microtransaction-heavy game was the Metacritic game of the year.

[sound of farty deflated balloon]

@godslayer1975 "this is a joke anyway i hope it crashes because these clowns dont know what there fans wanted"

The fans don't know what the fans want.

@ApostateMage They're using the Advent Children actors, so it's Yankee Doodles all the way

@sub12 Tekken 7 is coming to Xbox One.

@Matroska "In fact, there's lots and lots of reasons to get a PS4 and very few reasons to get an Xbone; the only people that have really been "forced" to do anything are Xbone owners - I hope Halo 5 lasts them a long time. This isn't like a Nintendo console where you buy it just so you can play 2 or 3 games and then never use it again (Xenoblade and Zelda, I'm looking at you)."

Ridiculous.

First, aside from first party offerings, Xbox One has basically all the games PS4 has. It also has games like Master Chief Collection, Sunset Overdrive, Forza 6, Rare Replay, Killer Instinct, Dead Rising 3, Rise of the Tomb Raider, Gears of War Remastered - and yes - Halo 5. It's also getting Scalebound, Quantum Break, ReCore, Gears 4 and Sea of Thieves.

And gee whiz, I guess my Nintendo consoles are magical, because I certainly have more than "2 or 3" games for each one. Less fanboy dribble next time, eh?

It's no secret I've been very critical of Sony in the last 12 or so months.

However, I think my opinion is going to swing the other way very quickly - this year's PSX was excellent.

For me, the games on offer were a perfect balance of reliable hands and fresh, new experiences.

Final Fantasy VII Remake looks bloody fantastic (thank god Square Enix chose a real-time battle system), and I was pleasantly surprised by Uncharted 4's dialogue system (ND doing something new? Praise!). Ni No Kuni II looks incredible, too.

I also loved the VR lineup. The whacky concepts reminded me of Sega's glory days, and proved that innovation isn't dead. The indie games also looked brilliant. It was new stuff - and I wholeheartedly welcomed it!

Minor quibbles; I didn't like Epic's non-game CGI trailer clogging airtime, and the Rez video went for too long. Also, no Final Fantasy XII HD. Again.

Overall though, I was very pleased. I've now decided that PS4 is finally worth buying, and will pick one up sometime next year.

Good job, Sony!

@Quorthon 3DS sells 55 million in four years.

PS Vita sells around 5 million (?) in three years.

Sony should just give it up and go third party, right?

Uh huh.

Skyrim on PS3 received similarly glowing reviews, whilst the technical issues were swept under the rug. Sorry, but after the MGSV debacle, I just can't take these verdicts at face value. Additionally, how much time did these reviewers get when playing the game?

@BAMozzy Yeah, those are good points. Hype and marketing definitely play a role in all this.

Well, at least the awards were voted by the public - which takes away any bias in proceedings.

I understand there has to be a cut-off date somewhere, but it really annoys me when something is declared 'game of the year', when the year isn't even finished. Not saying the Witcher 3 doesn't deserve it, but there's still games like Fallout 4, Halo 5, Rise of the Tomb Raider and Xenoblade Chronicles X on the horizon (though fat chance for the latter. A Nintendo game? Getting the honours? Perish the thought).

@themcnoisy YouTube comments are thattaway >

As soon as I saw the headline, I thought 'yep, Daily Mail'.

Nice to see my powers of clairvoyance still going strong. Ahem.

Yeah, clearly things aren't going so well over at Xbox HQ - which is a shame, considering how much MS have improved the Xbox One over the last couple of years.

I can totally see them abandoning consoles all together in favour of PC, whilst the Xbox brand becomes a digital platform. Heck, we're already beginning to see it with Windows 10.

@WARDIE A poor craftsman blames his tools.

The state of Skyrim on PS3 was simply unacceptable - especially considering Bethesda knowingly released it onto the market. IMO, this was a criminal act, and the fact that the duped masses looked the other way was downright absurd.

The existence of patches (not that they did any good for Skyrim) doesn't excuse a buggy mess.

Great review, Sammy.

Syndicate is yet another example of why I've long stopped playing Ubisoft's games. They're just so bloated with pointless crap, that the core mechanics of the series have long been lost. Spending 50 hours of unlocking bits of the map, before going through every single alleyway with a fine tooth comb is just so wretched. Open-world design can be so much more... I wish developers would scrap every preconceived notion of what a wide open sandbox should be, and go back to zero. Start fresh, and offer some genuinely new experiences.

It's 15 years later - both men will probably have a punch up at their kids' soccer game.

"But with Sony parading record breaking PlayStation Store profits in the wake of this week's NPD report, shouldn't it be making its payment system a little less flaky if it wants to maximise digital revenue?"

Something I've been saying since forever. Sony seem mote concerned with clucking about the PS4's sales, rather than actually actually doing anything remotely related to improving services.

"Bethesda's open world titles have a history of bad performance on PlayStation, with The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 3 both launching in shamefully shoddy condition on Sony's last-gen console."

Yet, they still received perfect scores. Go figure.

I don't know why people are salivating so much over Fallout 4. Bethesda is a company with atrocious standards when it comes to bugs and glitches - yet, time and time again, they're handed GOTY awards like cheap candy.

EA is the last company that should be criticising anyone. The sheer gall of this knob.

Oh, and backwards compatibility. The 'out of touch' Nintendo offers it. The 'evil' Microsoft is working on offering it. But Sony? No, they're content to just let you buy them again via remasters and the dreadful PS Now. Good way to fill the almost non-existent flow of original games.

"Ratchet & Clank Could Be the Best Video Game Movie Ever"

I dunno. It's going to take a lot to beat Resident Evil 26.

Wow, such a shame. My thoughts go out to her. Surprised to hear those thoughts about Sony, but more so about her health. Good to see such a rotten thing not holding her back from living life.

@sonicmeerkat Most feminist crusaders are sexists in disguise. Polygon and Kotaku are perfect examples.

@Paranimal I believe the 3DO predated the PlayStation by about a year.

@eLarkos "The Vita is a poorly designed device."

What makes you say that?