Official PlayStation 4 Unboxing Video: Say, Does Mr. Yoshida Make House Calls?

Posted on November 10, 2013 by geelw

Okay, usually I’m not fond of unboxing videos, but this one? I absolutely LOVE IT. because it;s funny as hell to me. Sony has been riding on a big (and next-gen looking) wave of goodwill ever since they announced the PS4 and the steamroller of game trading the good old fashioned way in that hilarious short clip from this year’s E3. The company’s official unboxing video continues the amusing tone set by Shuhei Yoshida in that older video and it’s funny enough that I think it needs to be shown in retail locations all this week until the big day hits this Friday the 15th when the PS4 officially rolls out. Now, I can’t be one of those lucky ones to get a day one console (my finances are hurtin’ at the moment), but I’d not mind at all if Mr. Yoshida and his white gloves would drop on by with a special package at some point. I’d not turn him away at all. On the other hand, if someone from Microsoft rolls up in a white van, I’ll be calling up the proper authorities and pronto.

Yeah, yeah, I know, I know… but it’s NOT system bias on my part. I’ll more than likely get a Xbox One at some point… the day I can play it offline without getting an Xbox Live Gold account or having to log on for a mandatory update (which I can’t do from home anyway).

Diablo III On PS4: Sizzling Indeed (And Has Some PC Fans Hot Under The Collar)…

Posted on November 8, 2013 by geelw

Hey, as a longtime fan of games and someone who appreciates a job very well done, I’m one of those smart folks who absolutely loves what Blizzard has done with their baby on consoles. As I keep saying, the main purpose of ANY port from PC to console isn’t to piss off those with computers at all, children. It’s to broaden the user base for that formerly “exclusive” game you who buy or build those big beefy gaming rigs thought you’d have all to yourselves. That AND these “ports” are here to make the developers and publishers some additional money when they DO succeed in delivering the goods. I say Blizzard deserves every damn penny because once you try it out with an open mind, you’ll be surprised at… How. Well. It. Works. Me, I’d rather give Blizzard (and any other developers who do it up right for gamers) money and keep them cranking out hits for as many platforms as possible if and when they please… Continue reading →

Need For Speed Rivals Gameplay: PS4 Versus Xbox One, Round 1…

Posted on November 8, 2013 by geelw

SO, it seems that resolution is the BIG thing for many gamers and journalists out there rolling around on the ground fighting with each other and it seems that the PS4 has an advantage on SOME titles over the Xbox One, which is the reverse of how it was on many third party titles throughout this past generation. While those folks fight it out in clouds of dust and misspelled diatribes, I’ll just post these two trailers from Criterion’s upcoming racer and let you decide which looks best. The BEST way to see these videos is at their highest resolution (1080p), so hopefully you know how to do that with YouTube videos.

Anyway, Here’s the PlayStation 4 version below:

Annnnd below, here’s Rivals on the Xbox One. Oh wait, look at your HAIR! Ha! Next time close the window and fasten that seat belt. Sorry, I forgot to warn you we were going to go FAST. Anyway, ready? Good:

Did you notice anything different? Do you even care? Are you wearing socks right nor or are they stuck to the wall on the other side of the room after being blown clean off (and if so, I’m SO sorry if you were wearing expensive panty hose!)? I guess the sales figures will tell at the end of the day, but system bias will rear its head even more as both consoles roll onto shelves and the knives come out once again. Hell, they’re ALREADY out and have been since before each new system was announced. No one wins in that war, by the way… but sitting on the sidelines with a load of popcorn makes for some fine entertainment for me before I get bored and go back to playing some of those games everyone else is nitpicking over because of a few flaws or whatever that some won’t even notice because they only have one console at home and just don’t care what the competition is up to…

It’s Geralt of Riva’s Birthday! What Did YOU Get Him?

Posted on October 25, 2013 by geelw

Okay, okay… some you may not have heard of Polish developer CD Projekt RED or their outstanding The Witcher series of games, but those who know what the heck I’m talking about get to ogle that art above and funny infographic below with a nod and a smile.

If you’re not a fan and that info has piqued your curiosity, feel free to do the clicky-clicky thing with your mouse and read on for some press release action on why six years is so important for Geralt and his future (which is looking quite bright indeed)…

And oh, yeah… I go him a nice pair of socks, as I think they weren’t invented back then and it gets COLD in those medieval fantasy winters! Continue reading →

Pre-TGS News: SCEJ Drops Plenty of Vita Bombshells Plus a Late PS4 Release In Japan…

Posted on September 9, 2013 by geelw

Weird, wild stuff going on overseas, as Sony is surprisingly bringing out a redesigned, less expensive Vita in different colors with 1GB of on board memory, an even more inexpensive Vita TV device that will let users play Vita and other PlayStation titles, watch movies and more plus a whole load of so far Japanese-only info including the release date of the PlayStation 4 in the territory. The big surprise on that end is the PS4 is shipping out AFTER the North American and European launch, which is something of a first for a Sony gaming console if I’m not mistaken.

Back to the Vita for a second – Sony has also announced a new 64MB Memory Card as well as price drops on its other proprietary memory cards for the handheld. The 64GB card will retail in Japan for 9,980 yen (about $100) and the new pricing on the currently available cards is as follows: the 4GB card drops to to 1,480 yen (about $15), the 8GB card to 1,980 yen (about $20), the 16GB card to 3,780 yen (about $38) and the 32GB model to 6,480 yen (about $65). Meanwhile, as noted above, North American and European gamers will get their PlayStation 4’s a few months earlier than Japan, as a February 2014 launch window was revealed. According to a few news sites, the reason seems to be Sony having issues meeting high demand for the console worldwide and probably targeting more units for the US and Europe first thanks to greater demand in those countries.

Finally, the launch title lineup for Japan was revealed as well, but we’ll take a peek at some of those titles in another post shortly. My fingers are of course, crossed that these price drops and new products pop up here in the US, but as always… we shall see…

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt “Killing Monsters” Trailer: And The Moral of This Story Is…

Posted on August 14, 2013 by geelw

Even though this isn’t in-game footage, it’s more than clear to me that CD Projekt Red is making their upcoming open world RPG The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt one for the ages. This team truly knows how to make games that continually impress and if the final product is as great as the earlier work in progress videos have shown, it’ll be a title that’s going to be a mandatory gaming experience for genre fans. Only what, a year or so to go before this is out? I can wait… it’ll be like mooning away at that obscure object of desire, but I can wait…

E3 2013: PlayStation 4 Reveal: A Rerun Worth Repeating, As It’s A REALLY Good One…

Posted on June 11, 2013 by geelw

I’ll most likely run trailers of all the games shown here at some point, but you look more tired than I do, so it’s break time! Grab a sammich and a drink, pull up a seat and catch this rebroadcast of Sony’s E3 press conference where they basically slowly drop kick Microsoft’s otherwise master plans for living room dominance in the hind quarters. Granted, talk is cheap… but compared to Microsoft’s attitude towards consumers over time and particularly during the Xbox One reveals, this one’s worth being a bit smug over if you’re a longtime Sony fan. I like games, PERIOD, so I really have no preference. However, I also like to be able to PLAY my games and not have anyone tell me how, where or when to, so Sony’s at least understood that and a few other important things…

E3 2013: On Used Games, Yeah, Sony Twists That Knife In Microsoft’s Gut…

Posted on June 11, 2013 by geelw

Well… Sony and their newly revealed PlayStation 4 pretty much made a mockery of Microsoft’s press conference, turning it into the video game equivalent of Game of Thrones’ gory Red Wedding sequence and making the folks in Redmond probably wonder what the hell just happened during that last 20 or so minutes when everything they offered in TWO press conferences was peeled away point by point in favor of core gamers and consumer in general. The video will go down in gaming history as THE moment for many where loyalties changed and the big rectangular egg on the wall over Redmond way collapsed to the pavement. It’s going to be an innnnteresting holiday season, that’s for damn sure…

E3 2013: PlayStation 4: $399, No DRM, Content Galore, PS Plus Required For Online MP…

Posted on June 10, 2013 by geelw

Well, it’s pretty much a no-brainer for some gamers this holiday season. Or NOW if you hit up Amazon.com and pre-order (which is VERY highly recommended if you want one of these before Xmas).

Sony’s upcoming PlayStation 4 console comes in at a hundred dollars less than the Xbox One, used games CAN be sold, lent and traded as before (and as they’ve been for decades), PSN accounts with content can be transferred over and there are a really nice selection of games and services on the way. That said, the one wrinkle in the new deal is the requirement for users who want to play online to have a PlayStation Plus account…

But VERY misplaced internet rage aside, this isn’t a bad thing at all, as it’s basically the cost of a new game for a whole year ($60) and Sony will not only add free NEW games to those who buy in, PS Plus actually gets costs DOWN on games you buy in the future from PS One Classics to current and future PSN releases. So it’s really a case of do you want that discount or not. The PSN free ride had to end at some point as Sony has most likely been bleeding money keeping it running for so long.

ALSO (and this is the important part)… that Xbox One price doesn’t include the cost of an Xbox Live Gold membership, mandatory for using that console for pretty much anything. Mama said knock you out, Microsoft… Sony listened to mama, it would seem…

Journey: Collector’s Edition Trailer: My Psychic Powers At Work…

Posted on June 25, 2012 by geelw

As I predicted, here’s what’s coming in the retail version of Journey: Collector’s Edition, coming soon to the PS3. The only things missing are more PSN demos, but Sony is offering up a PlayStation Plus subscription for those of you who want to check out the service and see what’s what. Granted, this means not a thing to games without the means to go online at all, but hey, I guess SCEA will figure that out at some point. Still, this is a must purchase collection and heck, will make a great gift for any gamer out there who hasn’t tried these gems yet.