The Flickering Myth team look at all the news coming from this year's E3...
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Well, it's been quite the week for gaming news (as it usually is at this point every year) with Sony announcing the PS4 and Microsoft unveiling their "plans" for how they see the future of gaming. To put it politely, it didn't go down all that well.
So with all the news coming out of E3, the Flickering Myth writing team sat down to share their thoughts on this year's E3...
Ed Doyle: All I want is Kingdom Hearts 3. It's all I want.
Anthony Stokes: A new Super Smash Bros game is coming out so I guess I'm getting a Wii U.
Tom Jolliffe: Neither system strikes me as a worthwhile purchase for the money involved. There's some nice looking gameplay footage doing the rounds but nothing that really looks pant-wettingly awe inspiring. If my money was to go anywhere thus far, it goes to Sony. XBOX seem to be dropping clangers left, right and centre to be honest. The second hand thing is utterly ridiculous. My main gripe with both though, is that despite console gaming sales in decline, these two launches are still looking very expensive. You'd think to keep fans from succumbing to the temptations of simple, mobile gaming at cheaper prices, they'd have reasonable deals. Could this be the last generation of consoles as we know it? We'll see. Destiny promises to be a cracking game though I must say.
Luke Owen: Do we know if the PS4 price includes the camera attachment?
Chris Cooper: I don't think so Luke. I saw a tweet saying it was $60. Same price as a controller.
Tom Jolliffe: Have they mentioned the price of games yet?
Luke Owen: They'll probably be around £50-60 quid I'd have thought.
Tom Jolliffe: That would have been my guess. You still see 360 and PS3 games selling for £45-50 in some places even now, which is ludicrous.
Oliver Davis: Where's the new Dreamcast? Oh, in the Wii U controller.
Tom Jolliffe: A console war just isn't the same without Sega.
Andrew Naylor: Sony have learnt from the mistakes they made with their previous 3 console launches (PS3, PSP & Vita). They're getting it out before Christmas and mainly delivering what most gamers want. Plus, I think they've been quite witty and clever when making Microsoft look foolish. In fairness, they haven't had to work too hard to look better than Microsoft.
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Luke Owen: My conspiracy sense is telling me that Sony were planning on doing the same thing as Xbox but changed their minds at the last minute after seeing the massive backlash they got so that they could appear as "the saviour" of games.
Anthony Stokes: Rushing out these consoles which would've made more money if they had waited until the consumer demand went up makes me wonder if we're going to see the collapse of the video game market pretty soon.
Andrew Naylor: Anthony, Christmas is the console market. Summer is always a dull quiet time with little releases. Christmas makes or breaks consoles. I doubt either will be rushed, like the previous generation, in fact I think the PS4 will be quite impressive. There's a leaked trailer on the net showing of the system behaves, it looks great if I'm honest.
Anthony Stokes:When I say rushed nobodies asking for next generation consoles. I mean at least the Wii warranted an upgrade but there's still going to be a game market for the current consoles and an interface change so the overall consensus is " what's the point"?
Andrew Naylor: Everything needs to change and evolve. CRT television to LCD to LED and VHS to DVD to Blu-ray. Consoles are no different. Why continue on a machine that's not at the technological forefront? 360 and PS3 are nearly 8 years old, imagine what could be done to games when developers get in the groove with the upcoming generation.
Anthony Stokes: Extremely valid point, but most of the people I know still purchase DVDs and it's still a significant market. How many people spent hundreds on a Blu-Ray player when it first came out?
Becca Spackman: My inner Nintendork has emerged again. Super Smash Bros looks fantastic. And that little clip for the new Star Wars Battlefront is enough to tempt me to buy a new console alone...
Ozzy Armstrong: Everything seemed a little meh to me. Very few excellent games to get excited about and only glimpses of what could happen. I also seem to be more excited about the tail-end PS3 games than the PS4 offerings. When all is said and done, it's going to be at least a couple of years before any truly great games come out anyway so until then, I'll just stick to playing Skyrim.
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Chris Cooper: I'm staggered at the arrogance displayed by Microsoft so far. Not only have they delivered a muddled message that even a FAQ couldn't clear up, but the one time they are clear on something it's 'to buy a 360 if you haven't got an Internet connection'. The console is ugly, the reps blind and the games overall unimpressive.
Sony have maximised their gains and quite rightly put the boot in whilst Microsoft shoot themselves in the foot. 'For the gamers' is a mantra they are rightly sticking with too. The console looks sharper and they've improved the controller (I still believe the left stick is in the wrong place though!). Their games haven't blown me away either but their attitude has. The instructional video for sharing games is a particular highlight.
Price wise Microsoft are clearly banking on the Kinect to bridge the gap, though if you're at all like me the Mark 1 gathered dust after a few weeks.
This gen I picked up a 360 after two years of owning a PS3. After owning a PS1 and PS2 the 360 took centre stage, with the PS3 providing Blu-ray play back and the rare exclusive. I cursed Sony for letting me down and trying to chase too much.
History is repeating itself, but this Microsoft are making the mistakes. I don't want a camera. I have a laptop for everything else. I want to play games. It's as though they've took no notice and just expect people to get on board. There is plenty of time yet but so far, Sony are shaping up far better. They are doing it for the gamer after all.
Tom Jolliffe: Couldn't have put it better myself.
Chris Cooper: Thanks Tom. I've been following it all intently.
Luke Owen:I can't trust Sony as far as I can throw them. I still think they pulled this strategy out at the last minute to appear better than Microsoft. It's worked don't get me wrong, but my bull**** sense is tingling.
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So, the question is - will we be buying a PS4 or a Xbox One..?
Kris Wall: PS4 after their presentation.
Martin Deer: Cheaper, used games access, black & sexy, region free, bill gates sucks. PS4 please.
Luke Owen: For me, it'll be neither for now. Not seen any games for PS4 yet and all the Xbox One games look the same as those on the 360, which is why I stopped playing it in the first place. I can't imagine the PS4 will offer anything else in terms of games to be honest. FPSs, driving games, sports games, quick time event games, FPSs, driving games, FPSs...
Plus, both consoles look like the Philips CD-i...
Ozzy Armstrong: Been a Sony boy since the PS2 came out. Don't see myself changing now, especially after the XBox One's announcements.
Gary Collinson: I think I will hold off until either one of them goes cheaper. I'm sure Grand Theft Auto V, Batman and Lego Marvel will keep me occupied for a while anyway. But if I was to opt for one, it has to be the PS4 at the minute.
Anthony Stokes: PS4 for the innovation of being able to play used games, and no built in controller-less accessory.
Tom Jolliffe: PS4 will be cheaper to start. To be honest though, neither strikes me as an essential purchase. The step up won't be as big as PS1-PS2 for example, or even PS2-3.
Chris Cooper: PS4 so far. I had a PS3 first (having owned a PS1 and PS2), but once I picked up a 360 I barely touched it. So to be leaning more towards Sony again feels weird, but homely!
Villordsutch: Neither to be honest. My little ones bought themselves a 360 two years back and they barely swap games. It's either Minecraft or Skylanders nothing more. Wifey bought me BOPs2 and BL2, but my gaming is more PC and my TV is Sky and my Movie player is Blu-Ray.
Anghus Houvouras: PS4. That presentation was awesome. Microsofts draconian policies and stipulations are mind blowingly idiotic.
So there you have it - now much love for Microsoft and the Xbox One amongst the Flickering Myth writing team, but which console will you be opting for when the next-generation gets underway later this year? Let us know in the comments below...
So with all the news coming out of E3, the Flickering Myth writing team sat down to share their thoughts on this year's E3...
Ed Doyle: All I want is Kingdom Hearts 3. It's all I want.
Anthony Stokes: A new Super Smash Bros game is coming out so I guess I'm getting a Wii U.
Tom Jolliffe: Neither system strikes me as a worthwhile purchase for the money involved. There's some nice looking gameplay footage doing the rounds but nothing that really looks pant-wettingly awe inspiring. If my money was to go anywhere thus far, it goes to Sony. XBOX seem to be dropping clangers left, right and centre to be honest. The second hand thing is utterly ridiculous. My main gripe with both though, is that despite console gaming sales in decline, these two launches are still looking very expensive. You'd think to keep fans from succumbing to the temptations of simple, mobile gaming at cheaper prices, they'd have reasonable deals. Could this be the last generation of consoles as we know it? We'll see. Destiny promises to be a cracking game though I must say.
Luke Owen: Do we know if the PS4 price includes the camera attachment?
Chris Cooper: I don't think so Luke. I saw a tweet saying it was $60. Same price as a controller.
Tom Jolliffe: Have they mentioned the price of games yet?
Luke Owen: They'll probably be around £50-60 quid I'd have thought.
Tom Jolliffe: That would have been my guess. You still see 360 and PS3 games selling for £45-50 in some places even now, which is ludicrous.
Oliver Davis: Where's the new Dreamcast? Oh, in the Wii U controller.
Tom Jolliffe: A console war just isn't the same without Sega.
Andrew Naylor: Sony have learnt from the mistakes they made with their previous 3 console launches (PS3, PSP & Vita). They're getting it out before Christmas and mainly delivering what most gamers want. Plus, I think they've been quite witty and clever when making Microsoft look foolish. In fairness, they haven't had to work too hard to look better than Microsoft.
Anthony Stokes: Rushing out these consoles which would've made more money if they had waited until the consumer demand went up makes me wonder if we're going to see the collapse of the video game market pretty soon.
Andrew Naylor: Anthony, Christmas is the console market. Summer is always a dull quiet time with little releases. Christmas makes or breaks consoles. I doubt either will be rushed, like the previous generation, in fact I think the PS4 will be quite impressive. There's a leaked trailer on the net showing of the system behaves, it looks great if I'm honest.
Anthony Stokes:When I say rushed nobodies asking for next generation consoles. I mean at least the Wii warranted an upgrade but there's still going to be a game market for the current consoles and an interface change so the overall consensus is " what's the point"?
Andrew Naylor: Everything needs to change and evolve. CRT television to LCD to LED and VHS to DVD to Blu-ray. Consoles are no different. Why continue on a machine that's not at the technological forefront? 360 and PS3 are nearly 8 years old, imagine what could be done to games when developers get in the groove with the upcoming generation.
Anthony Stokes: Extremely valid point, but most of the people I know still purchase DVDs and it's still a significant market. How many people spent hundreds on a Blu-Ray player when it first came out?
Becca Spackman: My inner Nintendork has emerged again. Super Smash Bros looks fantastic. And that little clip for the new Star Wars Battlefront is enough to tempt me to buy a new console alone...
Ozzy Armstrong: Everything seemed a little meh to me. Very few excellent games to get excited about and only glimpses of what could happen. I also seem to be more excited about the tail-end PS3 games than the PS4 offerings. When all is said and done, it's going to be at least a couple of years before any truly great games come out anyway so until then, I'll just stick to playing Skyrim.
Sony have maximised their gains and quite rightly put the boot in whilst Microsoft shoot themselves in the foot. 'For the gamers' is a mantra they are rightly sticking with too. The console looks sharper and they've improved the controller (I still believe the left stick is in the wrong place though!). Their games haven't blown me away either but their attitude has. The instructional video for sharing games is a particular highlight.
Price wise Microsoft are clearly banking on the Kinect to bridge the gap, though if you're at all like me the Mark 1 gathered dust after a few weeks.
This gen I picked up a 360 after two years of owning a PS3. After owning a PS1 and PS2 the 360 took centre stage, with the PS3 providing Blu-ray play back and the rare exclusive. I cursed Sony for letting me down and trying to chase too much.
History is repeating itself, but this Microsoft are making the mistakes. I don't want a camera. I have a laptop for everything else. I want to play games. It's as though they've took no notice and just expect people to get on board. There is plenty of time yet but so far, Sony are shaping up far better. They are doing it for the gamer after all.
Tom Jolliffe: Couldn't have put it better myself.
Chris Cooper: Thanks Tom. I've been following it all intently.
Luke Owen:I can't trust Sony as far as I can throw them. I still think they pulled this strategy out at the last minute to appear better than Microsoft. It's worked don't get me wrong, but my bull**** sense is tingling.
So, the question is - will we be buying a PS4 or a Xbox One..?
Kris Wall: PS4 after their presentation.
Martin Deer: Cheaper, used games access, black & sexy, region free, bill gates sucks. PS4 please.
Luke Owen: For me, it'll be neither for now. Not seen any games for PS4 yet and all the Xbox One games look the same as those on the 360, which is why I stopped playing it in the first place. I can't imagine the PS4 will offer anything else in terms of games to be honest. FPSs, driving games, sports games, quick time event games, FPSs, driving games, FPSs...
Plus, both consoles look like the Philips CD-i...
Ozzy Armstrong: Been a Sony boy since the PS2 came out. Don't see myself changing now, especially after the XBox One's announcements.
Gary Collinson: I think I will hold off until either one of them goes cheaper. I'm sure Grand Theft Auto V, Batman and Lego Marvel will keep me occupied for a while anyway. But if I was to opt for one, it has to be the PS4 at the minute.
Anthony Stokes: PS4 for the innovation of being able to play used games, and no built in controller-less accessory.
Tom Jolliffe: PS4 will be cheaper to start. To be honest though, neither strikes me as an essential purchase. The step up won't be as big as PS1-PS2 for example, or even PS2-3.
Chris Cooper: PS4 so far. I had a PS3 first (having owned a PS1 and PS2), but once I picked up a 360 I barely touched it. So to be leaning more towards Sony again feels weird, but homely!
Villordsutch: Neither to be honest. My little ones bought themselves a 360 two years back and they barely swap games. It's either Minecraft or Skylanders nothing more. Wifey bought me BOPs2 and BL2, but my gaming is more PC and my TV is Sky and my Movie player is Blu-Ray.
Anghus Houvouras: PS4. That presentation was awesome. Microsofts draconian policies and stipulations are mind blowingly idiotic.
So there you have it - now much love for Microsoft and the Xbox One amongst the Flickering Myth writing team, but which console will you be opting for when the next-generation gets underway later this year? Let us know in the comments below...