Why the PSVita TV is a good business decision

It's no secret that I am a fan of the Playstation brand, but lately I've been questioning some of their business decisions. For the life of me, I couldn't understand releasing the PS3 for $599 USD, the existence of the PSP Go, or why they've slowly started to westernize what used to be the console otaku gamers dream of. The PSvita is one of the decisions I questioned initially. Why did they release it in North America with no JRPGs whatsoever and expect it to sell? Did they forget their audience? Had Microsoft convinced them that Americans only want shooters and hack and slash? I was upset with Sony as a whole. The PSVita is a great piece of kit, but it had nothing for me to play.

It seems Sony is well aware that the PSVita is not living up to the sells expectations set by the PSP. When they first announced the PSVita TV, I was confused. Why would Sony do this? They're going to hurt the sells of their own portable. Then it hit me! If people are not buying the PSVita (Sony product) because they are buying the PSVita TV (Sony product) instead, Sony is still making money. It's a brilliant win/win idea. Say somebody wants to play a few Vita games, but don't want to shell out the money for a Vita. Well, now they have a cheaper alternative. Sure it's not portable, but it plays the games they want, plus it has other cool features such as video streaming, and the eventual PS4 functionality. It's definitely a way to cover all bases.

On top of the cheaper price point and Apple TV esque features, The PSVita TV can also be seen as the cheapest entry point to gain access to Playstation Network games. Which, in my opinion, is a great value, considering a lot of my all time favorite titles are on PSN. The only serious flaw i can see with it, is that some Vita games will not work on it, for example: Little Deviants uses the touchpad and touchscreen, So I'm fairly certain that won't work on it. Still, that's just a minor sacrifice for what you get out of this box. I look forward to it's realease (assuming it comes to the US) and would like to see Nintendo and Microsoft's response to this superb idea.

Who is Pokemon Bank aimed at?

In a recent Nintendo Direct, GameFreak announced a new service that will launch alongside Pokemon X and Pokmen Y. That service is called the Pokemon Bank. It is a cloud based storage system that allows you to store up to 3,000 Pokemon in 100 boxes. When I first heard this, I assumed it was aimed only at the type of trainers who have huge collections, and those who EV and IV train their Pokemon into perfection, but maybe I was a bit too quick to judge.

First off, this is a subscription based service, as to be expected of anything dealing with cloud. There will be an annual fee that has been revealed to be only 500 yen, so I would imagine that is around $5 in the US. There will be a trial mode available for those who wish to test it out. In the direct, they talked about storing Pokemon in the bank for years and eventually passing it on to a child or friend. Back when I was PGX, I would have loved a feature like this to store all my eeveelutions. Even before I retired and sold off my Pokemon Diamond game, this could have came in handy. If it existed then, I could have stored my Pokemon in the bank, and eventually transferred them over to X and Y. You see, its not just the collectors that could make use of the Pokemon Bank, but the average trainer as well. If this is to be an ongoing sevice for generations of Pokemon to come, I'd gladly invest a measly $5 a year to keep my Pokemon in safe keeping. Even if you Download the digital version and lose your save data, at least you can keep your banked Pokemon. I forsee people abusing the bank to get all 6 starters in this game. 

So in the end, Pokemon Bank is a great forward thinking idea, that can really add a whole other level of personalization to your Pokemon experience. Seriously, what trainer wouldn't want to pass down his most prized Pokemon to his or her child and tell the stories of all the great battles they had years ago. That aspect alone is tempted me to come out of retirement for one more go at the competitive world of Pokemon. Well, what are your thoughts? Leave your comments below.

Super Smash Bros. Wii U may be the best in the series

unless you've been burried under a rock, you know that Nintendo is releasing a 4th Smash Bros. game for both the Wii U and 3DS in 2014. As per the writing of this article, Villager, Megaman, and Wii Fit Trainer have been announced as the latest Newcomers. It's also been stated that there will be no story mode this time around, but I have not doubts whatsoever, that this will be the best Smash Bros. game ever.

  First of all, Sakurai and his team seem to be really dedicated to balancing the game out as much as possible. This will make the game more enjoyable for competitive tournament players, and those who just play for fun with weapons galore, such as myself. very little if any talk of weapons has been mentioned so far, but if the character balancing is any indication to go by, there will probably be less Smart Bomb type items this time around. Some would argue that a lot of the items in Brawl were over powered, so here's hoping they balance that out along with everything else.

 The next thing that can really make this Smash Bros. the best one yet, is the character roster. Sakurai is looking to cut down on clowns and dud characters like Rob the Robot (shudders....) Yes, yes, I know Villager and Wii Fit Trainer aren't exactly known for being fighters, but for what's been shown, they seem to be formidable opponents. The roster is being chosen very carefully, as to appeal to every demographic that is even slightly interested in Smash Bros. That has to be a plus, right?

  Last but definitely not least, is the portability. This will be the first ever Smash Bros. game to be on a portable, the 3DS (or 2DS if you prefer that). If Nintendo are smart, they will find some sort of way to have some form of interactivity between the 3DS and the Wii U version of the game. You can finally falcon punch somebody on a bus (assuming C.Falcon returns) and not get arrested for doing so. As long as the online is smooth and better than the lagfest that was Brawl, its sure to be a hit.

 So with all of this going for it, Super Smash Bros. 4 (thats what I'm calling it) is set to shatter all of our expectations in a good way and deliver a superb, zany, quirky, tightly balanced, fighting game that we all want. Make it happen Sakurai. My Body Is Ready.

Homebrew Channel will keep the Wii alive longer than the HD consoles

This generation of gaming has finally drawn to a close with the Wii leading the way with over 100 million units sold. This gen is also significant as being the generation that sold the most software and hardware ever. The audience was definitely expanded. However, even though this generation is all but over with PS4 and Xbox One coming this holiday season, I have reason to believe the Wii will continue to sell long after the competition stops manufacturing Xbox 360 and PS3.

 The Wii, while currently the lowest selling console on a weekly basis, is the console that I believe will last the longest. It's the top seller for one, and it has a little something called the Homebrew Channel (Granted you know how to exploit the hack) which makes it a go to console for people looking to playing Free Games! It's no secret that the Homebrew channel was a factor in the Wii dominating this generation. Its the cheapest, it introduced motion controls, and it had Homebrew that let gamers play all kinds of roms and actual retail games for free.

  While I do not condone pirating retail games at all, I do know many gamers who did just that, and were able to play every single game they wanted on the Wii, for free. In this age where everyone is used to free to play and 99 cent iphone games, a console having free games is sure to stay around longer than one with $60 and $70 games. Another factor for my theory is that the owners of the Xbox One, thus abandonning the 360 and PS3. this will leave Wii as the last console standing, and when it eventually drops to $99 or less, it will probably reach DS sales numbers, or close to it. There's still to times when the Wii spikes and outsells the Wii U, and there are still applications being made for the homebrew channel. I believe the Wii has a long life ahead of it, as long as Nintendo doesn't pull the plug.

Why is America so anxious to see Nintendo fail?

At some point, I'm not exactly sure when, American gaming media decided to hate Nintendo and wish death upon the company. If I had to guess, I'd say it was midway through the Gamecube's run. It somehow became the cool thing to do. If you want to be part of the cool gamers crowd, you have to hate Nintendo. 

  This type of thinking, in my opinion, is anti-gaming. If you love gaming, and all that it stands for, you shouldn't hate any console manufacturer, especially Nintendo. They've been changing things up since the NES days. Of the 3 major console developers, Nintendo is the only company who's controllers are all noticeably different from the previous console. SEGA used to do the same thing when they were in the console business, because this was a good thing. changing up the controller introduces new ways to play and new ways to interact with your games. How dare the media hate the Wii, but tried their hardest to hype Kinect and Move? How dare they complain about Nintendo milking franchises, but turn a blind eye to the fact that there are more Halo and Uncharted games last gen than main series Mario games? Why is it Nintendo they target? 

  At first I believed it to be simply because they are a Japanese company. Maybe that argument would hold water, if the American media wasn't kissing Playstation's ass almost as much as Xbox's. They only answer I ever get from Nintendo haters is the same repeated uninformed nonsense such as "They're for kids." "Nintendo doesn't make hardcore games." or "I'm sick of Mario and Pokemon." They couldn't be more wrong. Despite the Wii's image last gen, it was home to the three most over the top mature titles and even a game that was almost banned. If they're sick of Mario, don't buy it. Nintendo makes loads of other franchises. They even showed of a new JRPG code named "X" at E3, and there are several rumors floating around about Shigeru Miyamoto revealing a new game soon, and Nintendo obtaining the rights to Baten Kaitos. Yet, it seems like no matter what they do, American media hates them. This is not the case in their homeland of Japan. Pick up any magazine like Famitsu, and you see high review scores, positive Nintendo articles, and praise for DragonQuest X, which is Nintendo exclusive. 

  So Why the hate here? What Did Nintendo do to America? Even The Wii and the Wii U's image is warped into something that they're not here in the US. It's shocking how few people know any game that I mention when they ask me what do I play on the Wii. They expect me to say Wii fit, Wii sports, and Mario, but instead are baffled when I name The Conduit, Red Steel 2, Monster Hunter Tri, No More Heroes, Tales of Symphonia Dawn of the New World, The Last Story, Xenoblade, and games of that nature. The Wii U seems to be Nintendo's best shot at regaining the respect of the American media, and With games like Watch Dogs, Bayonetta 2, Deus Ex, and the ever so popular Call of Duty, Its seems they have a fair shot. With America already trying to claim the Wii U as a failure, will it even have a chance to get out of the Hater's bracket?  Only time will tell.

Gamers DON'T determine the winning console

There was once a time where gamers determined what the top selling console was. Yes, in its infancy, game sells relied almost entirely on the gamer. Ever since the days of the Playstation, well before the Wii, casual players and non-gamers entered the market in huge waves. Sure, we as gamers love our action/adventure, RPGs, shooters, Hack and Slash, etc, but its the casuals that boost the sales of any given console into the 100 millions. 

Let's examine the most recent generation of games as an example. The Wii was the clear winner saleswise, yet the average "hardcore" gamer seems to have a serious disdain for it, claiming it to be the casual, or kiddy console. An incorrect view of the console, but if we look at what games sold the most, we see games aimed at casuals, such as Wii Sports and Wii Fit at the top of their charts. I know we can look at the Call of Duty games and say they sell a lot too, but in comparison to a game that both gamers and average joe's play, such as Mario Kart wii, Those numbers are small.

The same thing will happen with this generation. the landscape of gaming has changed. Why else would the XBox One come with Kinect packed in? Though we are the ones who buy more games and keep the industry afloat, we are but the minority when it comes to deciding which console will have the largest install base. Throughout video game history, you can see that the highest seller has always been the one with the most casual games. Us gamers are here to stay, but to think that we are the deciding factor for who wins a supposed console war, is far from the truth. 

Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper Review

 Ah yes, the kings of hack and slash, Tecmo Koei have done it again. Originally released on the PS3 and XBox 360, Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper has bonus content, new characters, and new game modes. As far as story goes, a Hydra is summoned causing a rip in the space time continuum which calls for some of histories greteast warriors from Achilles to Zhang He to band together and take him out. 

Any fan of the series knows how these games work. You're tasked with missions and sidequests as you fight your way through legions of enemies. The first stage alone I had to kill off over 1500 enemies. each character has their own unique fighting style and there are plenty to choose from, so you are sure to find someone to fit your play style (I prefer Xing Cai for her auto parry ability) to ensure you're able to take on the swarms of enemies. Completing missions also unlocks cards that you can use in Duel Mode to battle against friends, locally, or strangers over the Nintendo Network.  There's also a level editor that lets you download and play stages edited by others, as well as edit your own and post them for others to try their luck at.

Content is king in this game. From the huge roster of playable characters, weapons, and outfits, to the multiple game modes and online features, this is easily one of the most underrated games in the Wii U library. No it's not perfect, but this game is definitely one to pick up and a great starter for newcomers to the series. Just, by all means, avoid the Chaos difficulty setting. I give Warriors Orochi 3 Hyper for the Wii U a 8.5 out of 10.