We had seen this before. Detroit gets complacent and they drop a road game to a vastly inferior team. Up 2-0 in the best of seven series against the young upstart Cavs, the Pistons let one get away from them on the road in Cleveland. This happened against Milwaukee in the previous round and Detroit flexed their muscles in game four. But Milwaukee doesn’t have the chosen one, the king, LeBron James.
Down 2-1 and coming off a great performance (21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists) LeBron was facing yet another obstacle, another Rasheed Wallace guarantee. Never one to bite his tongue, Rasheed guaranteed a win against the hapless Cavs. Rasheed busts out these "guaranSheeds" at least once during the playoffs, and his Pistons are 3-0 when he promised victory. Were 3-0.
Not a single person, myself included, thought that the Cavs would put up much of a fight against the well-oiled machine that is the Pistons. One game, maybe. LeBron could have some virtuoso game where they squeak out a win. But any more than that? Not a chance. The Pistons are too good, too focused, and too experienced to let the lowly Cavs scare them on their way to the NBA Finals.
Fast forward to before game 4. With the guaranSheed in place and the game three loss fresh in their minds, everyone thought the Pistons would respond with a commanding victory. LeBron James had other thoughts. He wouldn’t go down like this, not in his first playoff appearance. He wasn’t just going to take his beatings and call it a “learning experience”. LeBron wanted to win, to prove everyone wrong. Not in a Kobe way, in a Jordan way.
The Nike ad campaign insists we are all witnesses. LeBron is proving it. 22 points, 9 assists, 8 rebounds, and a 2-2 series tie later, I am a witness. Sure it wasn’t his best game statistically, going a measly 8 for 23 from the field and almost detrimental 5 for 10 from the free throw line but it was his best game so far in his young career. LeBron even admitted he wasn’t having a good night against “the leagues best defense” and “had to trust my teammates”. He becomes more Jordan-like as these playoffs go on. At 21 years old.
With exciting young players like Dwayne Wade, Carmello Anthony, Josh Howard, and Chris Bosh coming into their own from the 2003 draft class it is an exciting time in the NBA. But the man at the top of that draft, LeBron James, is the face of the NBA and the leader of the new golden age in basketball. He may not win a title this year; he might not even get out of this round, much less push it to seven games. But the win tonight against the Pistons is proof that we are all witnesses.
Monday, May 15, 2006
Sunday, May 14, 2006
E3 Retrospective
The 2006 Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, has come to an end. Now I will admit I haven’t been into E3 until this year, but I can say that it was one of the best ever. And I wasn’t even there. Thank God E3 isn’t any longer than 3 days because I have finals to focus on and it was exceptionally hard to do while all this was going on. Any dork worth their salt knows that Nintendo stole the show this year, blowing everyone away with the sheer coolness of the Wii. But how did everyone else do?
Nintendo-Best in Show
There was already a steady buzz goin around about the Wii before E3. I mean even Time Magazine had an article about it. E3 took that buzz and turned it into absolute frenzy. Actually seeing the Wii in action made many non-believers (including myself) take notice that Nintendo seems to be really onto something. The motion controls seem intuitive (from the many things I have read) and the graphics look pretty nice, at least better than the GameCube. But above all this thing looks fun to play. Seeing that lucky sap playing Wii Tennis with Miyamoto, Iwata, and Reggie was something to behold.
With proven franchise launch titles, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Wario Ware Smooth Moves, Nintendo will almost assuredly have the best launch line-up of the three major companies. With games like Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Brothers Brawl coming soon after Nintendo’s new console seems very promising in terms of hit games. The Zapper peripheral and the old school controller only added to the innovation that the Wii brings with its controller.
Everyone wanted to know how much the Wii was going to cost and exactly what Nintendo was going to do with its internet service. It’s interesting that these two seemingly large question marks were left unanswered and Nintendo still stole the show. We do know it will be available sometime in November and for less than the Xbox 360 was. If the Wii sells for $199-$249 range look for it to seriously compete with Sony and Microsoft. I know I am pre-ordering one and probably camping outside of Best Buy to get mine.
PC-Runner Up
I don’t know anything about PC gaming. The last game I played on a PC was Age of Empires II, which kicked ass. One thing I do know is that the best game at E3, Spore is going to be on the PC. From the creator of Sim-City and a bevy of other God-games, Will Wright, Spore looks like an absolutely amazing game. I could go in depth about this game but I would suggest just reading about it on IGN or Gamespot. In short it looks truly amazing and revolutionary, not to mention really cool. This may be the first PC game I have bought in 5 years. PC also got a very slick looking game, Crysis, from the people who brought us Far Cry. This game is an orgy for the eyes. You can shoot down the trees in it! It was by far the best looking game graphically at E3, but we’ll see if there’s a brain to go with that pretty face.
Microsoft-Place
Microsoft was the red-headed step child of this year E3. No new shiny hardware to show off. They had to live in the shadows of Nintendo and Sony this year. Microsoft took this role and ran with it. The 360 unveiled some very good looking new games, Gears of War, 99 Nights, and Bioshock. But Microsoft didn’t neglect their flagship franchises showing off, Splinter Cell Double Agent, DOA Xtreme 2, and GTA 4. But what really summed of this year for Microsoft was a two-and-a-half minute trailer for a game called Halo 3. Microsoft could have just shown this and said “that’s all we got!” and I don’t think anyone would mind. The trailer showed no game play but is said to be running in real time on the 360. If you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it. It is just really exciting to see Master Chief in action again. No word on the rumored price drop but the 360 looks very strong for this holiday season.
DS-Hustle Award
Nintendo has had a stranglehold on the less popular handheld market since the original Gameboy. The DS, designed to be a niche device, has exploded and dominated across the globe. At E3 2006 Nintendo announced a plethora of exciting titles coming to its little portable machine. Yoshi’s Island 2 (long overdue sequel to one of the best games ever), Legend of Zelda the Phantom Hourglass, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Starfox DS, and Kirby DS are all coming to the DS. Nintendo has really shown that they want to get their proven titles onto the DS in some form, which is great for owners of the worlds best handheld.
The unveiling (at least in the US) of the DS Lite, a sleeker, prettier version of the original, was also good for Nintendo. With the DS Lite and a large amount of great looking games coming to the system we may see sales climb like they have in Japan. I don’t think anyone expected the DS to have such a good show as they did. How could it be as exciting as the Wii? The DS was the pleasant surprise of the show and packed a lot of punch into a small dual screened package.
Sony-The Public Enemy Award (Don’t believe the hype)
Sony had to be the odds on favorite to have the best showing this E3. Microsoft, their biggest competition, had no hardware to show and little excitement behind surrounding their camp. Nintendo would do well, if only because of fanboy support, but is still far behind you in terms of sales. Even though Sony dropped the bomb of their console being $600 they could’ve still overcame that with some killer games. The list of most exciting games for Sony is a short one: Final Fantasy XIII (and its 3 iterations), Metal Gear Solid 4, Resistance: Fall of Man, Warhawk, and Heavenly Sword. Among those two were just trailers (FFXIII and MGS4). Apparently stealing a page from the Nintendo playbook, Sony revealed a surprise, a motion sensitive controller. The good is that this controller is an updated version of the classic dual-shock controller. The bad is that Sony whipped this together at the last minute and therefore couldn’t have the rumble feature cooperate with it. Sony just had an overall poor showing at E3, though it might not have been as bad if everyone else wasn’t so great. I understand Sony is marketing the PS3 as “a multimedia entertainment device” but $600 is a lot of scratch, especially to us poor gamers.
At this point in time at least 70% of gamers are going to own a Wii or a 360 in the coming months. I would be utterly amazed if someone is so loyal that they would rather spend $600 on a PS3 instead of $250 or $300 (if the price drop is true) for a Wii/360 respectively. You can almost get both consoles for the price of one PS3, or one console and a ton of games. This years E3 was very exciting and the best I have ever seen. I look forward to the months following the summer, when the new age of gaming is finally upon us.
Nintendo-Best in Show
There was already a steady buzz goin around about the Wii before E3. I mean even Time Magazine had an article about it. E3 took that buzz and turned it into absolute frenzy. Actually seeing the Wii in action made many non-believers (including myself) take notice that Nintendo seems to be really onto something. The motion controls seem intuitive (from the many things I have read) and the graphics look pretty nice, at least better than the GameCube. But above all this thing looks fun to play. Seeing that lucky sap playing Wii Tennis with Miyamoto, Iwata, and Reggie was something to behold.
With proven franchise launch titles, Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption and Wario Ware Smooth Moves, Nintendo will almost assuredly have the best launch line-up of the three major companies. With games like Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Brothers Brawl coming soon after Nintendo’s new console seems very promising in terms of hit games. The Zapper peripheral and the old school controller only added to the innovation that the Wii brings with its controller.
Everyone wanted to know how much the Wii was going to cost and exactly what Nintendo was going to do with its internet service. It’s interesting that these two seemingly large question marks were left unanswered and Nintendo still stole the show. We do know it will be available sometime in November and for less than the Xbox 360 was. If the Wii sells for $199-$249 range look for it to seriously compete with Sony and Microsoft. I know I am pre-ordering one and probably camping outside of Best Buy to get mine.
PC-Runner Up
I don’t know anything about PC gaming. The last game I played on a PC was Age of Empires II, which kicked ass. One thing I do know is that the best game at E3, Spore is going to be on the PC. From the creator of Sim-City and a bevy of other God-games, Will Wright, Spore looks like an absolutely amazing game. I could go in depth about this game but I would suggest just reading about it on IGN or Gamespot. In short it looks truly amazing and revolutionary, not to mention really cool. This may be the first PC game I have bought in 5 years. PC also got a very slick looking game, Crysis, from the people who brought us Far Cry. This game is an orgy for the eyes. You can shoot down the trees in it! It was by far the best looking game graphically at E3, but we’ll see if there’s a brain to go with that pretty face.
Microsoft-Place
Microsoft was the red-headed step child of this year E3. No new shiny hardware to show off. They had to live in the shadows of Nintendo and Sony this year. Microsoft took this role and ran with it. The 360 unveiled some very good looking new games, Gears of War, 99 Nights, and Bioshock. But Microsoft didn’t neglect their flagship franchises showing off, Splinter Cell Double Agent, DOA Xtreme 2, and GTA 4. But what really summed of this year for Microsoft was a two-and-a-half minute trailer for a game called Halo 3. Microsoft could have just shown this and said “that’s all we got!” and I don’t think anyone would mind. The trailer showed no game play but is said to be running in real time on the 360. If you haven’t seen it yet, go watch it. It is just really exciting to see Master Chief in action again. No word on the rumored price drop but the 360 looks very strong for this holiday season.
DS-Hustle Award
Nintendo has had a stranglehold on the less popular handheld market since the original Gameboy. The DS, designed to be a niche device, has exploded and dominated across the globe. At E3 2006 Nintendo announced a plethora of exciting titles coming to its little portable machine. Yoshi’s Island 2 (long overdue sequel to one of the best games ever), Legend of Zelda the Phantom Hourglass, Castlevania: Portrait of Ruin, Starfox DS, and Kirby DS are all coming to the DS. Nintendo has really shown that they want to get their proven titles onto the DS in some form, which is great for owners of the worlds best handheld.
The unveiling (at least in the US) of the DS Lite, a sleeker, prettier version of the original, was also good for Nintendo. With the DS Lite and a large amount of great looking games coming to the system we may see sales climb like they have in Japan. I don’t think anyone expected the DS to have such a good show as they did. How could it be as exciting as the Wii? The DS was the pleasant surprise of the show and packed a lot of punch into a small dual screened package.
Sony-The Public Enemy Award (Don’t believe the hype)
Sony had to be the odds on favorite to have the best showing this E3. Microsoft, their biggest competition, had no hardware to show and little excitement behind surrounding their camp. Nintendo would do well, if only because of fanboy support, but is still far behind you in terms of sales. Even though Sony dropped the bomb of their console being $600 they could’ve still overcame that with some killer games. The list of most exciting games for Sony is a short one: Final Fantasy XIII (and its 3 iterations), Metal Gear Solid 4, Resistance: Fall of Man, Warhawk, and Heavenly Sword. Among those two were just trailers (FFXIII and MGS4). Apparently stealing a page from the Nintendo playbook, Sony revealed a surprise, a motion sensitive controller. The good is that this controller is an updated version of the classic dual-shock controller. The bad is that Sony whipped this together at the last minute and therefore couldn’t have the rumble feature cooperate with it. Sony just had an overall poor showing at E3, though it might not have been as bad if everyone else wasn’t so great. I understand Sony is marketing the PS3 as “a multimedia entertainment device” but $600 is a lot of scratch, especially to us poor gamers.
At this point in time at least 70% of gamers are going to own a Wii or a 360 in the coming months. I would be utterly amazed if someone is so loyal that they would rather spend $600 on a PS3 instead of $250 or $300 (if the price drop is true) for a Wii/360 respectively. You can almost get both consoles for the price of one PS3, or one console and a ton of games. This years E3 was very exciting and the best I have ever seen. I look forward to the months following the summer, when the new age of gaming is finally upon us.
Thursday, May 04, 2006
My Albums
I am a huge fan of lists. I am constantly reading lists of every type: music, movies, sports, anything that I find remotely interesting I will read a list about. There is something about someones opinion and ranking of a medium that is intriguing. Really the best part is the arguments and disagreements that lists cause. Music by far has the most interesting possibilities of list-making, “Top ten albums of 2005” or “My top 100 favorite albums of all time”. Instead of doing one of these I was thinking about top albums that represent the music you like. I thought this would be a good way to answer the question: “what music do you like?” a question that I struggle with answering a lot. So in absolutely no particular order here are the albums I think represent my taste in music.
The Locust-Plague Soundscapes
The Locust was the first band I was totally in love with. Although love isn’t really appropriate for this band. Once I heard “Moth Eaten Deer Head” off of their self-titled cd I had to get everything they ever released. Plague Soundscapes is their best work, a furious assault of spastic noise and unearthly sounds. The entire album clocks in at a gargantuan 20 minutes and lasts a total of 23 tracks. This “every song is less than a minute” philosophy may be the reason why I have a terrible attention span when it comes to listening to new music. Every track has hilarious/disgusting names such as “Who wants a dose of the clap?”, “Recyclable body fluids in human form” and “Listen the mighty ear is here”. But don’t be fooled be the ridiculous names, The Locust will attack you with unbelievably fast drumming, bug-like noise keyboards, and vocals that sound like they’re from possessed 8 year olds. The best songs on the album are the aforementioned “Recyclable body fluids in human form” and the song I named my blog after “Live from the Russian compound”. You will either love or hate (and probably already do) the Locust and their unique sound but they are standouts in a genre full of similar sounding bands. And those locust suits are undeniably badass.
Lightning Bolt-Hypermagic Mountain
Every time I listen to Lightning Bolt I still find it amazing that it is two guys. I firmly believe that these two are in the top ten of best musicians ever at their instruments. Lightning Bolt features little if any vocals, another thing I normally don’t like in my music. Most songs are repetitive jam sessions that entrance you. “Megaghost” consists of little more than drumming, a recurring bass line, and ghost-like howling. It is difficult to describe Lightning Bolts appeal in words; you just have to listen to them. “Dead Cowboy” and “Riiffwraith” are probably two of my favorite songs of all time and really encapsulate what the band is. If The Locust have decreased my attention span then Lightning Bolt is trying its hardest to increase it. Half the songs on the album are over 4:30, and a couple over 6 minutes. This is very short for the band with a song spanning the better part of half an hour on a previous album. Lightning Bolt can be a little daunting to get into, but once you do you will be rewarded with some hypnotic, brutal, and beautiful music.
Death from Above 1979-You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine
I will admit that I hate dancing and subsequently music that induces dancing. But there is something about DFA that is very danceable and at the same time, kicks so many asses. Another two piece drum and bass band, DFA incorporates keyboards and a more accessible sound than Lightning Bolt (that is probably the only time these two will be in the same sentence anywhere). DFA have a very infectious sound to them, the high energy vocals, attractive bass and drumming, and of course those damned keyboards. “Romantic Rights” is an amazing song, with scratchy bass, a non-stop drum line, and a breakdown that inspires all but the soulless to sing along. The lyrics have been accused of being womanizing (just check out the song “Pull out”, the title pretty much tells the story), but I find them memorable and entertaining. Unlike the previous two selections on this list I feel DFA is highly accessible to almost any music fan. I only wish they had another album out…
Interpol-Antics
Interpol is the definition of mood music to me. My sleep playlist on itunes is about 40% Interpol. This is stuff for driving in the rain or taking a walk at midnight. Paul Banks’ lyrics and voice are almost ethereal, haunting. His voice conveys a lot of emotion and is very unique sounding. Make no mistake though, Interpol can turn on the oomph, songs like “Evil” and “Slow Hands” are very up-tempo and some of the best songs on the album. “Next Exit” is one of the best leadoff songs to an album I have heard. After listening to the album to death, I still find myself coming back to Antics periodically when the mood strikes me.
Andrew WK-I get Wet
Mr. WK has to represent the guilty pleasure section of this list. There is no denying the truly goofy lyrics (“party” is in, by my calculations, every song on the album) and song names (“Party till you puke”, “Party hard”, and the ubiquitous “It’s time to party”) but I can’t stop listening to this man. When I first heard the album, I thought “every song is exactly the same!” but they are all great in their own way. He mixes yelling/chanting, classic rock guitar, and piano into contagious anthems that ooze power. The albums title track could bring me back from the dead, it’s that potent. Almost every song on this cd makes you want to drink a beer, thrash around, and scream every word. I Get Wet won’t ever win any awards, or appear on any greatest lists (except greatest party albums, in which it is every entry) but it is very enjoyable to listen to, even if just for the comedic value.
I think 5 are sufficient for now. I like this list and feel it is very representative of my varying musical tastes. I behoove anyone who likes list-making to do something like this, as it is more thought provoking than just your favorite albums. Honorable mentions that I left out for length purposes and/or genre similarities: Daughters-Canada Songs, The Strokes-Room on Fire, Nine Inch Nails-Pretty Hate Machine, Blood Brothers-Burn Piano Island Burn, Lightning Bolt-Wonderful Rainbow, Smashing Pumpkins-Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, and many others.
The Locust-Plague Soundscapes
The Locust was the first band I was totally in love with. Although love isn’t really appropriate for this band. Once I heard “Moth Eaten Deer Head” off of their self-titled cd I had to get everything they ever released. Plague Soundscapes is their best work, a furious assault of spastic noise and unearthly sounds. The entire album clocks in at a gargantuan 20 minutes and lasts a total of 23 tracks. This “every song is less than a minute” philosophy may be the reason why I have a terrible attention span when it comes to listening to new music. Every track has hilarious/disgusting names such as “Who wants a dose of the clap?”, “Recyclable body fluids in human form” and “Listen the mighty ear is here”. But don’t be fooled be the ridiculous names, The Locust will attack you with unbelievably fast drumming, bug-like noise keyboards, and vocals that sound like they’re from possessed 8 year olds. The best songs on the album are the aforementioned “Recyclable body fluids in human form” and the song I named my blog after “Live from the Russian compound”. You will either love or hate (and probably already do) the Locust and their unique sound but they are standouts in a genre full of similar sounding bands. And those locust suits are undeniably badass.
Lightning Bolt-Hypermagic Mountain
Every time I listen to Lightning Bolt I still find it amazing that it is two guys. I firmly believe that these two are in the top ten of best musicians ever at their instruments. Lightning Bolt features little if any vocals, another thing I normally don’t like in my music. Most songs are repetitive jam sessions that entrance you. “Megaghost” consists of little more than drumming, a recurring bass line, and ghost-like howling. It is difficult to describe Lightning Bolts appeal in words; you just have to listen to them. “Dead Cowboy” and “Riiffwraith” are probably two of my favorite songs of all time and really encapsulate what the band is. If The Locust have decreased my attention span then Lightning Bolt is trying its hardest to increase it. Half the songs on the album are over 4:30, and a couple over 6 minutes. This is very short for the band with a song spanning the better part of half an hour on a previous album. Lightning Bolt can be a little daunting to get into, but once you do you will be rewarded with some hypnotic, brutal, and beautiful music.
Death from Above 1979-You’re a Woman, I’m a Machine
I will admit that I hate dancing and subsequently music that induces dancing. But there is something about DFA that is very danceable and at the same time, kicks so many asses. Another two piece drum and bass band, DFA incorporates keyboards and a more accessible sound than Lightning Bolt (that is probably the only time these two will be in the same sentence anywhere). DFA have a very infectious sound to them, the high energy vocals, attractive bass and drumming, and of course those damned keyboards. “Romantic Rights” is an amazing song, with scratchy bass, a non-stop drum line, and a breakdown that inspires all but the soulless to sing along. The lyrics have been accused of being womanizing (just check out the song “Pull out”, the title pretty much tells the story), but I find them memorable and entertaining. Unlike the previous two selections on this list I feel DFA is highly accessible to almost any music fan. I only wish they had another album out…
Interpol-Antics
Interpol is the definition of mood music to me. My sleep playlist on itunes is about 40% Interpol. This is stuff for driving in the rain or taking a walk at midnight. Paul Banks’ lyrics and voice are almost ethereal, haunting. His voice conveys a lot of emotion and is very unique sounding. Make no mistake though, Interpol can turn on the oomph, songs like “Evil” and “Slow Hands” are very up-tempo and some of the best songs on the album. “Next Exit” is one of the best leadoff songs to an album I have heard. After listening to the album to death, I still find myself coming back to Antics periodically when the mood strikes me.
Andrew WK-I get Wet
Mr. WK has to represent the guilty pleasure section of this list. There is no denying the truly goofy lyrics (“party” is in, by my calculations, every song on the album) and song names (“Party till you puke”, “Party hard”, and the ubiquitous “It’s time to party”) but I can’t stop listening to this man. When I first heard the album, I thought “every song is exactly the same!” but they are all great in their own way. He mixes yelling/chanting, classic rock guitar, and piano into contagious anthems that ooze power. The albums title track could bring me back from the dead, it’s that potent. Almost every song on this cd makes you want to drink a beer, thrash around, and scream every word. I Get Wet won’t ever win any awards, or appear on any greatest lists (except greatest party albums, in which it is every entry) but it is very enjoyable to listen to, even if just for the comedic value.
I think 5 are sufficient for now. I like this list and feel it is very representative of my varying musical tastes. I behoove anyone who likes list-making to do something like this, as it is more thought provoking than just your favorite albums. Honorable mentions that I left out for length purposes and/or genre similarities: Daughters-Canada Songs, The Strokes-Room on Fire, Nine Inch Nails-Pretty Hate Machine, Blood Brothers-Burn Piano Island Burn, Lightning Bolt-Wonderful Rainbow, Smashing Pumpkins-Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, and many others.
Tuesday, May 02, 2006
Next Gen Musings
We are on the cusp of greatness. Graphics that will blow our minds, games that will push the boundaries of creativity, and new console features that will revolutionize the way we look at video games. Or so Microsoft, Sony, and Nintendo would like us to think. The Electronic Entertainment Expo is nigh upon us and with it, most of the veils of secrecy around the next crop of consoles will be lifted. Nintendo’s newly named Wii, Microsoft’s beat-the-other-guys-to-the-punch Xbox 360, and Sony’s uber-expensive Playstation 3 will show off all they’ve got, and even some things they don’t (Sony, I am looking at you). This is the first time that I will have to decide which console I am going to buy and essentially pledge my allegiance towards. The following are my thoughts on the three major consoles and the epic war that shall ensue. No Wii puns, I promise.
Nintendo-Wii/Revolution
Nintendo recently revealed(1) the real name of its console: the artist formerly known as Revolution, abbreviated to Wii. This is easily the dumbest name of anything I have ever heard, much less a game console. But honestly, I don’t think this will matter in the least. I am still going to refer to it as Revolution, unless it becomes cool to call it Wii, then I will cave to peer pressure. Consoles are about games, not names. Nintendo has cornered the market on weird and quirky which coincidentally is huge in Japan. Their new controller scheme is very exciting and truly revolutionary. Fishing, tennis, anything involving swords, and countless other mechanics in video games could become very interesting. Nintendo has already had a tough time porting games and I wonder if the big companies are willing to spend the time and money on porting their games using this odd peripheral. The announcement and unveiling of Madden(2) is very exciting and could very well stem these worries.
The biggest knock on Nintendo so far is that they are targeting a more casual audience and neglecting the hard-core gamer. With its family friendly approach and peculiar controller “gimmick” many serious gamers could be turned off to the system. Coinciding with this is Nintendo’s “game-play first, graphics second” approach. While admirable and idealistic, a lot of gamers are stupid and love shiny graphics. All this reminds me a lot of the GameCube and that sadly underachieved. The best part about all this will be the price point. Rumored to be selling at $250 range at launch this could be the cheapest console of the next generation by almost $200. That is a lot of money and could make the decision a lot tougher on the consumer.
Nintendo’s Wii is the most exciting and mysterious of the new consoles and it should be interesting to see what they bring to E3. If I could only see one thing at E3 it would by Nintendo by far. I think the Revolution/Wii will be everyone’s second console when it’s all said and done. The casual gamers will love its quirkiness, relatively cheap price, and the ability to download the classics. The hardcore will probably stick with their Xboxes and PS3’s and eventually buy the Wii because it’s so darn cheap and interesting. The back library and low price seem great but the possible lack of ports and lesser graphics may keep Nintendo a distant third in the console race, which they probably already know.
Microsoft-Xbox 360
Bill Gates’ baby will be an old man by the time the other two consoles arrive. With already great games like Oblivion and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, Microsoft is getting a head start in the arms race for video game supremacy. Gamer reputations, hot wireless controller action, and the best online service around, Microsoft will make a big push to knock Sony from the top. The 360 has yet to reach its full potential, a lot of its games are ports of current gen and PC games that look just slightly better. The new Xbox also demands a really nice HD TV to look its best. Oblivion and GRAW, two newer games, are the best so far and some would argue these aren’t the “killer APPs” Microsoft needs. Halo 3, which will have a video at E3, will be the only game Microsoft needs to sell 360’s.
The biggest advantage to coming out earlier than your competitors is that you are the only cat in town. A lot of people already own a 360 and therefore aren’t willing to shell out more cash for a new console. Another thing is that the 360 will have all of its bugs worked out by the time the PS3 and Wii launch. Rumors of a price drop(3) of $100 in October are very appealing, especially because that could be before either one of the new consoles are available. Another advantage to being the first kid on the block is that you can get some great titles out before your competitors. Microsoft’s E3 lineup(4) looks very strong, lead by Gears of War and Too Human. As it stands right now Microsoft has a substantial lead in the console wars, but let’s see if they can keep it up.
Sony-Playstation 3
And in this corner, the heavyweight champ of the video game world, Sony. Sony owns the console market in Japan and has ties with some of the biggest Japanese developers (SquareEnix or starters) giving it a solid base already. Even without a sleek online service that some other company has, Sony remained on top by a fairly large margin. I feel that Microsoft is getting close and Sony looks kind of like the crafty veteran whose time is coming to a close. Regardless Sony is still number one and you gotta beat the best to be the best.
With Nintendo revealing more and more about the Wii, the Playstation 3 has become the console shrouded in the most mystery. Will it cost the rumored $500 or more? Are any of the impressive videos we have seen for games the real deal? Will Blu-Ray beat HD DVD? (and does anyone care?) Is that controller really as uncomfortable as it looks? Sony has a lot of explaining to do to create some buzz around the PS3. Sony still has Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, and a lot of other franchises that will draw in the fanboys, but at what price? I, for one, am not willing to pay $500 for a console just because it can play some blue item that I have no idea about and some FF games. Now if the games look as ridiculous as the MGS4 video does, then maybe, but until then Sony has some catching up to do.
As it stands this day, May 2, 2006 I am leaning towards the Xbox 360. If the price drop is true and the games at E3 (Halo 3 included) look impressive, I will find it very hard not to pick one up at $299. I really like Sony and the franchises they have ties to, but I don’t like burning money. Five hundred bucks is a lot to spend on anything and Sony has a lot of holes to fill. If it turns out it will sell in the range of the 360 at launch, I would probably get one eventually. Nintendo and its Wii are a real wild card. The nostalgia of downloadable NES games and the funkiness of the controller, coupled with the price point may be too much for gamers to deny. Nintendo is always strong in Japan and if they get an online system going could be the dark horse in this jumbled mess. One thing is for sure, I am going to be on my computer and have G4 on around the clock keeping up with all the idiosyncrasies of E3. This is the best time to be a dork.
1 http://revolution.ign.com/articles/703/703502p1.html
2http://revolution.ign.com/articles/703/703727p1.html
3http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24552999
4http://games.ign.com/articles/698/698570p1.html
Nintendo-Wii/Revolution
Nintendo recently revealed(1) the real name of its console: the artist formerly known as Revolution, abbreviated to Wii. This is easily the dumbest name of anything I have ever heard, much less a game console. But honestly, I don’t think this will matter in the least. I am still going to refer to it as Revolution, unless it becomes cool to call it Wii, then I will cave to peer pressure. Consoles are about games, not names. Nintendo has cornered the market on weird and quirky which coincidentally is huge in Japan. Their new controller scheme is very exciting and truly revolutionary. Fishing, tennis, anything involving swords, and countless other mechanics in video games could become very interesting. Nintendo has already had a tough time porting games and I wonder if the big companies are willing to spend the time and money on porting their games using this odd peripheral. The announcement and unveiling of Madden(2) is very exciting and could very well stem these worries.
The biggest knock on Nintendo so far is that they are targeting a more casual audience and neglecting the hard-core gamer. With its family friendly approach and peculiar controller “gimmick” many serious gamers could be turned off to the system. Coinciding with this is Nintendo’s “game-play first, graphics second” approach. While admirable and idealistic, a lot of gamers are stupid and love shiny graphics. All this reminds me a lot of the GameCube and that sadly underachieved. The best part about all this will be the price point. Rumored to be selling at $250 range at launch this could be the cheapest console of the next generation by almost $200. That is a lot of money and could make the decision a lot tougher on the consumer.
Nintendo’s Wii is the most exciting and mysterious of the new consoles and it should be interesting to see what they bring to E3. If I could only see one thing at E3 it would by Nintendo by far. I think the Revolution/Wii will be everyone’s second console when it’s all said and done. The casual gamers will love its quirkiness, relatively cheap price, and the ability to download the classics. The hardcore will probably stick with their Xboxes and PS3’s and eventually buy the Wii because it’s so darn cheap and interesting. The back library and low price seem great but the possible lack of ports and lesser graphics may keep Nintendo a distant third in the console race, which they probably already know.
Microsoft-Xbox 360
Bill Gates’ baby will be an old man by the time the other two consoles arrive. With already great games like Oblivion and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter, Microsoft is getting a head start in the arms race for video game supremacy. Gamer reputations, hot wireless controller action, and the best online service around, Microsoft will make a big push to knock Sony from the top. The 360 has yet to reach its full potential, a lot of its games are ports of current gen and PC games that look just slightly better. The new Xbox also demands a really nice HD TV to look its best. Oblivion and GRAW, two newer games, are the best so far and some would argue these aren’t the “killer APPs” Microsoft needs. Halo 3, which will have a video at E3, will be the only game Microsoft needs to sell 360’s.
The biggest advantage to coming out earlier than your competitors is that you are the only cat in town. A lot of people already own a 360 and therefore aren’t willing to shell out more cash for a new console. Another thing is that the 360 will have all of its bugs worked out by the time the PS3 and Wii launch. Rumors of a price drop(3) of $100 in October are very appealing, especially because that could be before either one of the new consoles are available. Another advantage to being the first kid on the block is that you can get some great titles out before your competitors. Microsoft’s E3 lineup(4) looks very strong, lead by Gears of War and Too Human. As it stands right now Microsoft has a substantial lead in the console wars, but let’s see if they can keep it up.
Sony-Playstation 3
And in this corner, the heavyweight champ of the video game world, Sony. Sony owns the console market in Japan and has ties with some of the biggest Japanese developers (SquareEnix or starters) giving it a solid base already. Even without a sleek online service that some other company has, Sony remained on top by a fairly large margin. I feel that Microsoft is getting close and Sony looks kind of like the crafty veteran whose time is coming to a close. Regardless Sony is still number one and you gotta beat the best to be the best.
With Nintendo revealing more and more about the Wii, the Playstation 3 has become the console shrouded in the most mystery. Will it cost the rumored $500 or more? Are any of the impressive videos we have seen for games the real deal? Will Blu-Ray beat HD DVD? (and does anyone care?) Is that controller really as uncomfortable as it looks? Sony has a lot of explaining to do to create some buzz around the PS3. Sony still has Metal Gear, Final Fantasy, and a lot of other franchises that will draw in the fanboys, but at what price? I, for one, am not willing to pay $500 for a console just because it can play some blue item that I have no idea about and some FF games. Now if the games look as ridiculous as the MGS4 video does, then maybe, but until then Sony has some catching up to do.
As it stands this day, May 2, 2006 I am leaning towards the Xbox 360. If the price drop is true and the games at E3 (Halo 3 included) look impressive, I will find it very hard not to pick one up at $299. I really like Sony and the franchises they have ties to, but I don’t like burning money. Five hundred bucks is a lot to spend on anything and Sony has a lot of holes to fill. If it turns out it will sell in the range of the 360 at launch, I would probably get one eventually. Nintendo and its Wii are a real wild card. The nostalgia of downloadable NES games and the funkiness of the controller, coupled with the price point may be too much for gamers to deny. Nintendo is always strong in Japan and if they get an online system going could be the dark horse in this jumbled mess. One thing is for sure, I am going to be on my computer and have G4 on around the clock keeping up with all the idiosyncrasies of E3. This is the best time to be a dork.
1 http://revolution.ign.com/articles/703/703502p1.html
2http://revolution.ign.com/articles/703/703727p1.html
3http://www.gamespot.com/news/show_blog_entry.php?topic_id=24552999
4http://games.ign.com/articles/698/698570p1.html
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