I don’t think I’ve ever seen a more “meh…” gaming press conference than the one Microsoft had for the new Xbox One console. Sure, they did the ABSOLUTE smartest thing of all three major game companies by ACTUALLY showing their console (+110 points!), but every reveal after that was either predictable (EA Sports is making their games and DLC exclusive to the One first, we’re getting all new game engines for their core sports titles, there was no actual gameplay footage shown… -40 points!) or underwhelming (Forza Motorsport 5 looks like the last Forza unless you slow it waaaay down and see stuff you’d expect like better lighting and more textures in a game series that already looks fine, thank you. – 15 points!).
Not to mention the first 25 or so minutes being saddled down by talk about too many features core gamers could care less about (well, the more servers thing adds 20 points because without them, Xbox Live would turn into rush hour traffic on the L.I.E. every day. Hmmm… making me sleepy and not care about the new Kinect functions that SHOULD have worked like that in the first model? Yeah, that’s a nope. (and -30 points!). Oh, and Call of Duty: Ghosts getting a new graphics overahaul is a no-branier (but only worth +5 because it has a dog in the game who’s an active squad member {woof!} and the fish in the water move out of your way… but you’ll be too busy to notice that, I bet). As for the interactivity and character customization now possible in Ghosts’ multiplayer? Um… Whee? Other non-FPS games have done both for a while, but whatever (annnd that’s a -10 for trying to pass off those new features as innovations)…
(Trailer from HDPLAYR)
The only highlight for me was the announcement of a new Remedy game, Quantum Break (+20 points!), but the trailer was disappointing because it used live-action footage that switched unconvincingly to in-game visuals that, while impressive, really didn’t show off much other than the game has a big sea tanker smash into a bridge and cause a hell of a lot of chaos. Um, OK? I guess E3 will be the big reveal for the actual games they want to show off, because what they DID show at this reveal wasn’t very revealing for actual gamers that I know… Well, with that “later this year” release “date,” we’ll all see soon enough, right?
Yuk. So, I’m a bit under the weather today thanks to too many people in a few places I drop into for some wi-fi time being too generous with their germs. Bleh. I hate having a cold or whatever this is in such nice weather, but I’ll need to resist the temptation to start carrying around a paddle to whack those public sneezers and wheezers on the back of their head while telling them to stay the hell home if they’re not feeling well. Especially when there’s a table full of them all yakking about their symptoms and what meds they’re taking while still under the spell of what’s laying them low… 
I really dislike the bait and switch approach tech companies have been using to lure in the not so bright consumer who loves a bargain, but their plans seem to have worked well enough that they will continue as to grab your money how and when they can because you refuse to bring a calculator (or the part of your brain that works) to the store with you. According to 
File this entry in the “Wait, what?” Department. Hmmm… on ONE front, this is truly awesome news, as I’m as old as the hills and LOVE Jay Ward’s humor and these characters to death. That said, I’m all too curious as to just WHO the Hecuba this new comic series (and upcoming Dreamworks animated movie) are targeted at.
"DESTROY ALL FANBOYS!" 