It appears the Wii U price drop had a positive affect on the console’s sales but not enough to really make a difference. Nintendo says the struggling console sold 300,000 units in the last quarter which is an almost 50% rise from the previous quarter sales of 160,000.
Nintendo dropped the price of the Wii U to $299.99 and focused on only selling the deluxe model and it is still not the push the console needed. Total Wii U sales sit at just under 4 million consoles and is going to need a miracle to reach the 9 million Nintendo forecasted to sell before the end of the year.
Super Mario 3D World is the only big release of the holiday season after Donkey Kong was delayed into 2014. Mario Kart 8 will not release until April 2014 and Smash Bros. won’t see shelves until holiday next year. With horrible sales there is no use in hoping for third party support especially with next-gen consoles a few weeks away.
Nintendo is offering different bundles to push sales including one with Skylanders: Swap Force and The Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker.
This hurts as a lifelong Nintendo fan. I have yet to buy a Wii U because I still see no value in paying $300 for it. I have bought every Nintendo console but won’t think of getting one until it hits $199 which is what I was hoping would happen with the price cut a few months ago. I felt Nintendo needed to do like they did with the 3DS and just cut it way down to get sales moving. Alas, it did not happen and the Wii U looks like a defunct console as it heads to its first birthday.
Exclusives are nothing new to the game industry, but recent years have seen developers and publishers opting for time-limited exclusivity contracts: A title – or even extra content – starts out on only one system, but eventually moves to all platforms. When Titanfall showed up with only Xbox 360, Xbox One and PC versions announce, everyone assumed the PlayStation 4 version would show up in time.
According to recent press, however, the first game from Respawn Entertainment – made up largely of veteran Call of Duty developers from Infinity Ward – will bring it’s high-octane mech-driven action to Microsoft platforms only, forever and always. The developer cites Microsoft’s cloud and dedicated server support as essential to having the game run correctly.
According to Jon Shiring, an engineer for the developer, ““Microsoft realized that player-hosted servers are actually holding back online gaming and that this is something that they could help solve, and ran full-speed with this idea. So they built this powerful system to let us create all sorts of tasks that they will run for us, and it can scale up and down automatically as players come and go.”
This news is a potential game-changer as we approach the launch of each new console, considering the pedigree that Respawn carries. The gameplay footage for Titanfall is arguably the most unique thing to emerge from the ever-growing sea of first-person shooters in recent years. I’ll readily admit that Titanfall holds my interest considerably more than even Bungie’s Destiny, based on what we’ve seen so far.
Personally, I think there was probably also a substantial amount of money involved, techno-babble aside. I agree that Microsoft offers the better option as far as online multiplayer support; “free” games help ease the cost of PlayStation Plus, but they don’t counter Xbox Live’s superiority in letting people play together. While we’ve already seen the footage of “Halo 5,” I think Microsoft understands that they need a franchise that is decidedly Next-Gen; Xbox One needed its Halo: Combat Evolved or Gears of War to set the stage.
Here’s hoping Titanfall delivers come March 14.
UPDATE: Both Respawn and EA have attempted to clarify statements from yesterday, and have possibly succeeded in making it all more convoluted. The main point that seems to keep coming up is that the exclusivity does NOT apply to all future Titanfall titles, as was widely reported; it is only the current title that is guaranteed to Microsoft. This definitely changes things down the line, but doesn’t influence the fact that Microsoft has secured a key piece in swaying people about what console to buy over the next six months.
EA will once again take on Call of Duty this year with Battlefield 4. While the shooter has never come close to taking over the throne from Activision’s giant, it has its own niche in the FPS world. Battlefield 3 was forgettable it we are being honest. The multiplayer was decent and the story was…well I am pretty sure it involved words written in crayon on construction paper. Has DICE been able to make a more well crafted experience this time around? God I hope so because they are developing Star Wars: Battlefront and they better not screw it up.
Single player- “Its campaign is an obnoxious assault of explosions, blood, profanity, and anger wrapped in an apparent parody of a first-person shooter. In five hours, Battlefield 4 hits on almost every predictable cliché expected: Tank mission, boat mission, stealth mission, jailbreak, sewers, sudden but inevitable betrayal, dastardly Russians, defying orders, and, of course, a torture sequence.”
Multiplayer- “Where Battlefield 4 most brilliantly distances Battlefield 3 is in its map design. The best Battlefield maps are challenging and satisfying, demanding you take advantage of everything at your disposal, and Battlefield 4 does this extremely well.”
Single Player- “Occasionally in Battlefield 4’s solo campaign you’ll meet some variance. Jump out of a plane to land on a ship, ready to attack immediately after landing. Ride a speedboat while shooting down those of the enemies’. Hike around that quintessential snow level. You know the sort of thing if you’ve ever played any shooter ever.”
Multiplayer- “You can destroy levees and flood part of the map, forcing everyone to swim. You’ll block off paths and create new ones. Battlefield has always been a playground of death, and now DICE has given you even more play-doh to work with.”
Single Player- ” The story culminates with a choice-driven ending, but given my lack of attachment to the characters I hardly felt engaged enough to weigh my options seriously. Thankfully, the campaign is short, clocking in at roughly five hours.”
Multiplayer- “No matter what mode or class you are playing, you continually earn rewards thanks to the deep and varied progression system featured in Battlefield 4. The variety is staggering, with more types of sights, grips, knives, rocket launchers, and camo than any previous Battlefield game. Some are unlocked by ranking up your class or weapon, and others can be acquired at random in a Battlepack, which you receive roughly every three levels.”
Single Player- “The campaign is one of Battlefield’s best, too, and though DICE continues to stray a little too far into ‘loud and dumb’ COD territory rather than make the most of its large-scale, all-out war heritage, the explosive set pieces offer just enough to keep players entertained throughout the 5 hour experience.”
Multiplayer- “Unlike Battlefield 3, multiplayer appears to be launching in a finely tuned state, with a major balancing overhaul providing a mechanically-solid framework. Though weapon unlocks and upgrades still require a healthy time investment, early balancing issues are sidestepped by providing newcomers with a decent armoury, while vehicle weapon spamming has been restricted by a new cooldown-based ammo counter.”
Single Player- “But Battlefield is about more than just multiplayer these days, and the single-player campaign in BF4 also has some exciting moments. These are sequences that channel the freedom and variety of multiplayer; the levels spent mostly in corridors and in close-quarters combat are more frequent, however, and not nearly as enjoyable.”
Multiplayer- “Fortunately, the online stage is expertly set for some exhilarating moments. One of the best new things about BF4 is Obliteration mode, in which two teams fight to gain control of a bomb and use it to blow up three enemy positions. Unlike returning standby Conquest mode, in which the battle ebbs and flows between a handful of set positions, Obliteration boasts conflict zones that can change in a flash with the timely use of land, air, and sea vehicles.”
Telltale Games has just released the first trailer for The Walking Dead: Season Two and we now will be able to take control of Clementine in her journey to survive. Fans of Season One will recognize some environments shown as well as Lee’s haunting voice. Why you gotta hit me in the feels Telltale?
No release date was given for Season Two but we may see Episode One before the end of the year.
It is the biggest release week of the year so far for video games. Pirate lovers, military shooters and wrestling fans all have reason to be excited this week. It is officially the biggest time of the year for gaming. Who is excited?
[amazon_link id=”B00D41GCVS” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Sonic Lost World[/amazon_link] (Wii U, 3DS)
[amazon_link id=”B00DWXV1B4″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Angry Birds Star Wars[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, Wii, Wii U, Vita, 3DS)
[amazon_link id=”B00CSLIYTI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Pac Man and the Ghostly Adventures[/amazon_link] (360, PS3, Wii U, Vita, 3DS)
October 31st
[amazon_link id=”B00BPF528E” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Sniper Elite: Nazi Zombie Army 2[/amazon_link] (PC)
Time to set sail on the high seas today with the release of [amazon_link id=”B00BMFIXKQ” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Assassin’s Creed IV[/amazon_link]. People are understandably excited about the next entry in the franchise, including me, even though Assassin’s Creed III left a bad taste in many people’s mouths with its excessive hand-holding and feeling like they were never truly in control of their character. Can the pirate themed adventure set the series on a new course or is it just more of the same?
“Black Flag learns from AC 3’s initial 10 hours of banal hand-holding by immediately throwing you into the action. After a lean and exhilarating opening mission that places you in the blood-soaked boots of Connor’s much livelier and more likeable grandfather Edward Kenway, the world blossoms and allows you to explore its vast uncharted waters. The size of the world is staggering, and the fact that it’s absolutely brimming with fun and rewarding activities made me want to get lost as possible as I traveled from point A to point B.”
“On land, it’s (literally) the same old Creed. There’s a certain compulsive appeal to it of course, just like Ezio’s trilogy; you’ll want to collect the seemingly inexhaustible amount of things on offer, even if you know that what you’re doing isn’t technically good or even interesting. You just don’t care; it’s the gaming equivalent of fast food. “
“This change makes the best part of Assassin’s Creed 3 — the sailing and ship-to-ship combat — much better. Out on the ocean, Assassin’s Creed 4 is unlike any game I’ve ever played. Even the basic act of sailing the Jackdaw was gratifying as I called out commands to my crew, adjusting sails and angle to head off storms or enemy fleets, or shouting for full sail to ram an unsuspecting merchant ship.”
“I found myself excited to return to the Caribbean because, well, the game is a great deal of fun to play. Black Flag is the most mechanically assured, sturdily designed game in the series. Everything works in concert much more harmoniously than it has in past games, particularly the rough-around-the-edges-and-middle Assassin’s Creed III. Inventory management, aiming, sneaking and sword-fighting all feel more of a piece than they yet have.”
“Despite the presence of pirates and scoundrels, the world of Black Flag is a consistently gorgeous one. The Assassin’s Creed series has always had a knack for establishing an engrossing sense of place in its dense urban landscapes, and Ubisoft hasn’t missed a step in applying that same level of craftsmanship toward the islands and jungles of the Caribbean.”
“Despite my issues with the paths that are laid out before you, Black Flag is great fun when you let your impulses guide you. Whether you want to hunt animals or unearth Mayan relics, it caters to obsessive gamers with a multitude of objectives to cross off the checklist. Plus, so many different activities are available that I could hardly sail between destinations without getting sidetracked three or four times on the way.”
We will know more about Telltale Games The Walking Dead Season 2 on October 29th at 3PM EST. That’s tomorrow by the way. The developer tweeted the image above of Clementine’s hat with a message that said “keep that hair short”.
The Walking Dead Season 1 won many Game of the Year Awards and for good reason. It was one of the best stories told in gaming and even I had to hold back some tears when finishing the game. You would have thought someone told me there was no bacon. It really was bad.
Where was this thinking earlier this year when Microsoft was shooting themselves in the foot while running on broken glass with their inability to market the Xbox One? They have righted the course since then and this commercial hits all the right notes for the system. Titanfall, Dead Rising 3, Ryse and Forza are represented well and you even have a Zachary Quinto appearance with an woman eerily reminiscent of Penelope Cruz.
Good job Microsoft.
[amazon_link id=”B00CMQTVMI” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Xbox One[/amazon_link] releases on November 22nd.
Today is the release of [amazon_link id=”B00C7103DO” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Batman: Arkham Origins[/amazon_link], the first Arkham game not developed by Rocksteady Studios. WB Montreal had the task of carrying on the Arkham legacy while Rocksteady works on their next-gen game (maybe another Batman, maybe not). The first reviews are mostly agreeing that while this is certainly a valiant attempt at capturing the essence of Rocksteady’s previous two games, there are some missteps.
Our review will be coming when we are finished seeing all of what Gotham has to offer, but until then, let’s see what other sites are saying.
“Batman games are like pizza: even when they’re not very good, they’re still pretty good. Next to Arkham City, Arkham Origins is a bit of a disappointment in its lack of new ideas and use of win buttons, making it the least interesting of the trilogy. But as excuses to dive back into the excellent free-flowing combat and predator takedowns go, this story isn’t bad.”
“Such issues do nothing to take away from Origins’ strengths, though, giving you another chance to revisit a franchise that is surely now one of the generation’s best. Ultimately, this is like a cover song done by a band you’re quite fond of. It may never be better than the original, but it’s a great addition.”
“Origins is an incremental installment, not a transformative one. It doesn’t have the massive leaps forward that differentiated City from Asylum. It’s almost understandable since WB Montreal have been tasked with harmonizing along to someone else’s lead vocals. Right here, right now, the result is good enough.”
“The most noteworthy difference between Arkham Origins and its predecessors is a significantly larger open world. But that larger world has little meaning when the things you’re doing in it are the same things the smaller world of the previous game accommodated perfectly well.”
“While Arkham Origins misses a huge opportunity with its assassins, it handles Batman’s biggest antagonist impeccably. Origins recounts the first meeting between Batman and the Joker and digs deep into the warped psychology of the villain.”
“Batman: Arkham Origins delivers more of what made Rocksteady’s games great, but doesn’t break new ground. Like a youthful Bruce Wayne, it isn’t as crafty, and it takes its dings during combat, but still puts on a hell of a show when it needs to. Once Joker steps into the spotlight, it becomes a hard game to put down.”
By happy I mean witnessing the zombie apocalypse listening to The Turtles “Happy Together”. If this is actually available in the game’s soundtrack then we may have a winner. Come to think of it, what would your zombie apocalypse soundtrack sound like?
[amazon_link id=”B00DB90AHA” target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Dead Rising 3[/amazon_link] releases for the Xbox One on November 22nd.
