With E3 just around the corner, everyone seems to have an opinion about what’s going to happen or what should happen. So I got to thinking: what would I do if I were running any of the Big 3?
Honestly, for Nintendo, I would keep doing what they are doing, but also I would try to get more of the classic Nintendo franchises out there to lure the hardcore gamers. Wii sales are finally tapering off, so if you can lure in those older gamers with a solid library then I think they will really show their dominance. Also, more Virtual Console games. One game a week ain’t cutting it.
For Microsoft, I would give up any hope of competing with Nintendo using motion controllers and stick to what works: hardcore gamers and buying exclusives for the 360. Microsoft doesn’t have nearly the number of Triple A exclusives for this year that Sony does so if they can hold their lead they will likely reload for next year. Look for a new Gears game to be announced at next years E3. I would also dump Rare. Their time in the sun is gone and I think they will only cost Microsoft money now.
Sony, despite the constant negative press, is not as far behind as you might think. They are only 6.5 million consoles behind Microsoft and since they started a year later, that isn’t too big a lead. 2008 was not Sony’s year for exclusives, but 2009 is. Killzone 2 and Infamous have already landed and more are on the horizon, including Heavy Rain and what the hell Kojima has planned. I have heard rumors of a MEGATON announcement that Sony has planned at E3, but I have no idea what it is, if anything. Sony needs to keep adding to the PSN and getting franchises that people associate with Sony, like God of War, Gran Turismo and Final Fantasy. If it means shelling out the big bucks, then I would do it.
What would you guys do to crush the competition?
Since it’s a holiday weekend here in the States, I’m sure that many of you are getting to do some gaming over the last few days that you haven’t been able to do recently. For me, I’m loving a game called Sacred 2 right now, a hack-n-slash RPG that is absolutely HUGE. Seriously, my brother and I have played it for over 12 hours and haven’t even discovered 20 percent of the map yet. Awesome? Yes.
We all know what E3 means. It’s the time of year when we get sandwiched by video game news galore, and announcements from every corner of the gaming kingdom. Not only do we hear from the developers we enjoy, but also from the big 3 of the console wars: Microsoft, Sony and Nintendo. Each year, they regale us with tales of things to come. So how truthful are they?
Ah, Hideo Kojima. You’re a little rascal. You like to make crazy cut scenes, pretentious dialogue, awesome action and things that tease your loyal followers. Take this new 
After waiting for the season finale of Lost all week (don’t worry, no spoilers here), I started thinking about the idea of anticipation. You see, I was so pumped for this episode of one of my favorite shows that I literally could not stop thinking of it in the days leading up to it. It consumed every waking moment practically, and I couldn’t wait.
I think I need an intervention. I have this problem, you see. Sometimes, I get stuck playing a game for months on end, not because it’s ridiculously fun or anything, but because I become obsessed with getting good at it. I don’t know why, but I have this fixation with certain games where I need to become better at them, even after the game isn’t nearly as fun as it once was when I started playing.
GameCop vs. LameCop is a feature where Anthony and I argue about video game issues, playing the role of either the GameCop or the LameCop as we do so. We switch roles each time. The GameCop has your best interests as gamers at heart, while the LameCop is just what he sounds like: a total loser.
For the love of Pete, somebody please just make this stop. After some recent rumors that Sony will be introducing motion control at E3 (didn’t they already try and fail at motion control?), it sounds like Microsoft is going to be joining the party and hoping for free money the likes of which Nintendo has enjoyed this generation. That’s right, the rumor is that Microsoft is developing 
Man. I don’t know how many of you guys played the old school side-scrolling beat-em-up Ninja Turtle games back in the day, but they were pretty much my favorite things ever. The original TMNT for the NES (with rocket-powered skateboards), as well as Hyperstone Heist and Turtles in Time were so stinking fun to play back then, I remember repeatedly renting those games and beating them in one sitting with my brother.
Finally, a voice of reason has spoken in the clusterfrak that is the video game release schedule, which places the majority of all games for an entire year in the holiday months. And who is this voice of reason, you ask? Well, it’s none other than Microsoft. I know, I was surprised, too.
So tonight I played and lost in a Halo Wars tournament hosted by the good dudes over at Rooster Teeth. It was a 32 man 1 v 1 tournament that lasted a total of 4 hours before it was all said and done. Well, really, for me, it only lasted about 30 minutes, as I went out in the first round. 
As you all know, I tend to move from multiplayer game to multiplayer game, stopping and camping out on one of them at a time for a few months. Right now, the game of multiplayer choice has been Halo Wars, and so far I’ve been really into the versus modes.
As you all know, I’ve been tearing up quite a bit of Halo Wars recently. The online multiplayer is so fun, and my friend and I have been testing out all kinds of strats in 2 v 2 arranged matchmaking. Our current one involves warthog rushing in the first couple of minutes of the game, and so far it’s working well.
Halo Wars was first introduced back at X06 with all the hype and subtlety of a flash grenade blinding your senses. Since then, the FPS turned RTS game has seen numerous delays and revisions before finally hitting store shelves in March 2009. So, was it worth the wait? Did the game live up to the Halo brand? How well does this console RTS play? Let’s talk about that.
While you can’t fault a company for trying to make money (that is their purpose after all), I’m a tad miffed at hearing of the constant nickel-and-diming that is starting to pop up in the video games industry. I am all about paying for great content that is worth the money, but when I hear about EA having map packs and weapons for sale less than two weeks after Godfather II’s release, I’m annoyed.
Could this be the last generation of consoles? Apparently, that’s what analyst Michael Pachter thinks, and it’s his job to come up with this kind of stuff, I guess.