(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - Saints Row IV has been officially announced!

 It’s time once again to brandish our dildo bats and have fun with Uncle Gary.

The franchise that is accurately described by my girlfriend as “Grand Theft Auto Gone Wild” is now under the watchful eye of Deep Silver (after parent company Koch Media snatched it up. Volition, the original company that has worked on the previous Saints Row titles, will still be the acting developer for this latest entry, though. What can we expect this time around? How can Saints Row IV continue to push the levels of absurd and debaucherous fun? Let’s first take a look at what we’ve been given so far; a teaser trailer and some details.

In Saints Row IV, the head honcho of the Saints has been elected to the Presidency of the United States. But the Saints are just getting started. Now the larger-than-life insanity of the Saints series gets a new twist with a catastrophic alien invasion, and the aliens have transported the Saints to a bizarro-Steelport simulation. Wield gargantuan superpowers and fight to free humanity from alien granddaddy Zinyak’s mental grasp. Escape the simulation that’s trapped the Saints crew, or die trying. Saints Row IV lets players delve into an arsenal of alien weaponry and technology that will turn each Saint into an ultimate entity of destruction. Utilize out-of-this-world superpowers to fight all the way to the top. With intensified action and enhanced customization, players can use their newfound superpowers and leap over buildings, outrun the fastest sports cars, or send enemies flying with telekinesis in the greatest, most insane installment of Saints Row yet.

The first thing that jumps out to me is the super powers. This will be a brand new element for Saints Row IV but not so for open-world games in general. Could Volition have taken notes from the Infamous franchise? We already have an idea of the powers that will be available such as super jumps, sonic speed, and telekinesis. I imagine flight and enhanced strength will be thrown in there also. A freezing power seems likely judging from the trailer. How crazy can they go with this, though? Maybe invisibility? How about x-ray vision (for obvious reasons)?

Insert bad ice joke here

The trailer also gave us a taste of the new weapons we can expect. One that jumped out to me was what I’m calling the “Big Head Mode Gun” that gives your target the NBA Jam treatment. We also have the covert nature of a guitar case rocket launcher. The story lends itself open to alien weaponry so don’t be surprised to have at least something that shoots lasers. Speaking of the story, our character is going to start off as President of the United States! That alone could lend itself to some interesting gameplay elements. Will we have control of the U.S. army? Do we get to walk around town with our own bodyguards? Can we fly Air Force One? Is Burt Reynolds appointed as Vice President? Please let these all be true!

From Mayor to VP?

These games have always been about customizing your experience. Saints Row: The Third boasted one of the most impressive character creator tools I’ve had the pleasure of playing around with. In the fourth entry, it would be nothing less than disappointing if Volition didn’t push this even further. We could always use more clothes so that’s a given. There’s also the possibility of adding a couple more voice options beyond the awesome cockney accent and the newly added (although somewhat lazy) zombie voice. I’d still like to see car modding match the zaniness of my character with possible additions like turbo jets and monster wheels. There’s also got to be gun modding, Borderlands be damned! If Dead Space 3 can allow you to build a flamethrower that shoots buzz saws, then I want to see the same kind of creative carnage implemented in Saints Row IV.

You may call it over the top. I call it a good start.

If there’s one thing Saints Row has outdid GTA in, it’s having creative missions. More insurance fraud, please! I’d love to see the septic truck make a return also. Throw in some new ones that has you making complete (mis)use of your super powers. Change boring street races into marathons with a parody of The Flash. Have us test how high we can jump in a single bound. Use telekinesis to stack in a test to see how many cars we can stack on top of one another. This series has always been about its humor so we want to see that cranked up further! Saints Row: The Third pushed the envelope with its dildo bat and “Whored Mode” but something tells me Volition could push it even more. Make the parodies be more up to date and introduce more shocking weapons, characters, and missions that will have the ESRB spinning its head. The more crude and absurd, the better. Finally, there needs to be a major attempt to make multiplayer as much fun as the main campaign. The previously mentioned “Whored Mode” was cute and all but the execution left something to be desired. Co-op, on the other hand, was done well so perhaps there’s a way to work off of that. Let’s see a big super powered brawl! One idea I had in mind would be to have a two versus two event where your partner throws you using super strength then gliding to gain as much distance as possible.

Now imagine with 7 other super speedsters

As you can probably gather, I’m a huge fan of this franchise. Can you blame me for demanding to see each new iteration get bigger and bolder? Be sure to let us know your thoughts on what has been revealed as well as what you’d like to see added in the comments below!

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - What have you started, Mr. Sessler?

All this fuss over one shiny trinket.

There’s been a bit of a hullabaloo over a certain God of War: Ascension trophy. Is the outrage legit or are we blowing this out of proportion? Check out what I had to say on the matter in the following video!

The end music is from a Chrono Trigger / Jay-Z mashup album made by rapper 2 Mello. Check out more at his Bandcamp page.

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - That’s all I can stands and I can’t stands no more!

“Blow me down, Maxis!”

This latest debacle involving the ever so popular </sarcasm> practice of always-online DRM (digital rights management) with SimCity is the last straw. When will companies learn to employ an alternative to piracy? Are we, the consumers, going to stand for this total lack of regard for our enjoyment of a paid product?

You know what’s actually funny? I’m not even much of a PC gamer asides from an indie game on Steam now and then. There was a time when I was big into WarCraft II, The Sims, and, yes, SimCity (the one with that cool looking cyclops spider monster). This was all way before companies started to take serious action towards curbing pirated games.

I moved away from PC gaming primarily because of my preference for console games but also because of the rise of practices like what we have seen in recent titles such as the new SimCity and Diablo III. In both cases, the servers used were just unable to handle the amount of players online. If you can’t connect to the server, then you essentially have no game to play. Congratulations, your disc is now an overpriced coaster!

A lot of news outlets like to place the blame on Maxis for developing SimCity to be online only. Others point their finger at Electronic Arts for not properly preparing their servers before launch. I would scrutinize both parties in terms of this specific example as well, however, there is an inherent problem that encompasses more of the big picture here. The United States online infrastructure currently in place is simply not where it needs to be for people to enjoy games that require a constant Internet connection.

Despite how far we’ve come on the technology side of things with smartphones and data plans to support them, a reliable Internet connection in the average American household isn’t as common as you might think. Those of you who live in or close to major metropolitan cities or even use their work place WiFi may not be plagued by the sudden drops or inability to connect to the Internet at all as someone who lives in a rural area experiences. For most of the country, this constant frustration is a reality. Even to this day, dial-up Internet is still prevalent with AOL’s numbers showing that they serve roughly 3 million customers.

With that fact, it’s no wonder the recently announced PlayStation 4 was stated to not require an online connection in order to play games. Sony seems to get it, so why not the PC crowd? Until we reach a point where the States can offer high-speed connections across the board, the way of always-online DRM will only lead to a brick wall.

Let us know your thoughts on this topic in the comments below.

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - The debut trailer for Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag is here!

What can we expect from this latest swashbuckling entry in the franchise?

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - Not one to leave leaked game reveals lying around, Ubisoft today officially announced Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag.

Y’arr! There be speculation ashore!

This next entry in the famed historical open world stealth series will star a new protagonist who has been rumored to be Edward Kenway. If that last name sounds familiar to you it’s because he is the father of Haytham Kenway and therefore grandfather to Assassin’s Creed III hero Connor. We can see from the cover art revealed that Black Flag will indeed have a pirate theme. It is also confirmed that this adventure will take place in late 17th century – early 18th century Caribbean where the “Golden Age of Piracy” primarily took place.

Apart from the rumored early 2014 release date, not much else is known yet until Ubisoft gets into more details on March 4th. That doesn’t mean we can’t already start speculating on what we’d like to see, though!

More naval battles

“FIRE!!”

This is a safe bet considering the setting. Arguably, the naval missions in Assassin’s Creed III were the best inclusion the franchise has implemented so far. I would find myself all too often forgoing story missions in favor of setting sail and sinking enemy ships to Davey Jones’ Locker. These segments were a welcome change of pace from the usual running around and stabbing people that can admittedly get tiresome after a while. Let’s hope that Black Flag builds upon this and make the gameplay at sea as open as it is on land!

Better ship upgrades

Should’ve got those iron hull reinforcements!

Any sea-worthy ship could use a few upgrades here and there. While we did get some basic ones in Assassin’s Creed III such as better defense, stronger attacks, and different ammo types, there could still be a whole lot more to add. How about more cannons or, better yet, grappling hooks for your crew to pull a ship in close for boarding? I imagine seizing ships will be a bigger deal this time around so that would make sense. I can even see a new economy system take place where you use money or contraband stolen from ships in order to pay for these improvements.

Control your own pirate fleet

“Set sail, ye scurvy dogs!”

Assassin’s Creed: Brotherhood introduced running your own band of assassins and the Assassin’s Creed III “Tyranny of King Washington” DLC has you commanding spirit wolves. Why not allow us to lead our own pirate navy in Black Flag? Considering that our new protagonist is part of the Order of Assassins, it wouldn’t be a stretch to think that amassing an armada would be a primary focus in order to rule the high seas.

“Swashbuckling” fighting style

Insults too, please!

If Ubisoft is going to have us play as a pirate, then he damn well better fight like one! The “swashbuckling” style is meant to be more fancy and flamboyant as well as a whole lot of fun to watch. Considering how impressive the animations were in Assassin’s Creed III, I’m excited to see how the redesigned sword fighting will look like. If we can lead someone to “walk the plank” right off of a ship, then all the better!

Treasure hunting

“Did you say, ‘treasure’?”

What pirate adventure would be without a search for buried treasure? We already got a taste of treasure hunting from the Captain Kidd side quest in Assassin’s Creed III. Just like with the ship upgrades, however, that only makes us want more. This would be perfect fodder for collectibles and allow us to search for the lost treasure of some real pirates! Speaking of which…

Meet real pirates

No, not those Pirates!

As I said earlier, this is the “Golden Age of Piracy” which means the best of the best buccaneers were terrorizing ships at the time Black Flag is supposedly taking place. There are the classics like Blackbeard, Black Bart, and the previously mentioned Captain Kidd. Other interesting figures I’d love to see includes one of the only female pirates Anne Bonny as well as the slave turned pirate Black Caesar who later became a lieutenant under Blackbeard. You can check out more potential characters here.

Let us know what else you’d like to see in Assassin’s Creed IV: Black Flag in the comments below and stay tuned on March 4th when more details come in!

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - Is “Cliffy B” just spreading some doom and gloom or does he have a point?

Does he plan to come out of retirement?

Despite now being retired, Gears of War creator and game designer Cliff Bleszinski has kept himself relatively busy these days. For one thing, he’s still very much active in the gaming industry including acting as the keynote speaker at the 2013 East Coast Games Conference today. It was at this event that the man so fondly known as “Cliffy B” let it be known that if he was to come out of retirement, now would not be the time.

Cliff goes starts off with a surprising comparison and some interesting predictions.

“This business has not been in a state of transition like it is right now since the video game crash of the ’80s. I really think we’re in a massive state of turmoil. I think Nintendo could possibly be faced with the situation of becoming a company that only makes software moving forward. I think Sony and Microsoft are about to come to major blows. But at the same time, people love playing games on their iPad. The PC is going through a wonderful renaissance right now. I think we’re ready to do digital download games all the time. I just want to see what happens. In regards to the industry, it’s like the Super Smash Bros. of business right now and I want to see if Peach or Mario wins.”

Weighing in the 80′s crash and the market today seems like a bit of a stretch. While it’s true the economy is far from full recovery, video game sales are still very strong. That wasn’t the case thirty years ago when the entire medium was on the brink of going away for good. My belief is that Cliff has taken the number of studio closings and layoffs that have been happening lately and is making a larger presumption than needed on them.

The part about people who “love playing games on their iPad” isn’t something I would take too seriously either. Mobile games have been super popular on iOS and Android devices these days but it’s a different gaming experience than what you get on a console. I don’t hear a lot of people dropping their Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 in favor of playing the next Angry Birds or (in the case of Epic Games) Infinity Blade. It’s simply a different market targeted towards a different audience.

Cliff Bleszinski wielding the Lancer from Gears of War

In regards to speaking at today’s conference, Bleszinski comments about his love of creating games. He also makes a final statement that seems to speak on the vilifying of the medium.

“It’s about what video games mean to me. Ultimately, I want to take people on a journey through my 38 years of growing up playing games since the age of 6 when I first saw Space Invaders. And how throughout every major milestone of my life, video games have been there for me in a very positive way, and hopefully reminding people that this is a very wonderful medium. And to be frank, I’m kinda tired of it being challenged as some sort of demonic thing in pop culture.”

I want to believe a majority of us would stand up for the integrity of this hobby which we love when it is challenged. Whether it’s the Roger Ebert “video games aren’t art” claim or the recent blame passed over from the Sandy Hook incident, gamers have and will make a stand. It’s good to hear someone from the industry unafraid to speak their mind on it.

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - We take a look at the PlayStation 4 games revealed!

(Clockwise starting from top left) Watch Dogs, Killzone: Shadow Fall, Knack, and Infamous: Second Son

Check out the first part of our PlayStation 4 coverage!

Better late than never! We finally got our video look at all the heavy hitting games that were announced during the PlayStation 4 reveal event. We packed in all the trailers along with commentary prepping each one in one badass package.

Let us know what you think in the comments below. Personally, this is the most involved video I’ve worked on yet and I’m excited to continue improving upon the video content posted in the future!

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - Could the PlayStation 4 truly revolutionize gaming as we know it?

See the future!

A new age is upon us! The PlayStation 4 is real and (supposedly) coming out for the holidays this year. Sony held a rather large event in New York City last night to showcase their not so kept secret in front of 1,000+ attending and millions of folks around the world via live stream. What was shown? What can we expect? Will it be worth making the leap to the next generation of gaming?

The first reveal of the new console actually wasn’t the console itself. In fact, that was never revealed during the event strangely enough. I guess that will be saved until E3 in a few months. We did, however, get our first official look at the controller which has officially been dubbed the DualShock 4.

The PlayStation 4′s DualShock 4 controller

Looks like that leaked image that got around was right on!

I’m a fan of the redesign to the traditional PlayStation controller for a number of reasons. Primarily, I dig the smoother look and added depth. It’s almost like they combined the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 controllers into what we see here. The indented notches on the sticks are a much appreciated addition.

We also got some in-depth information on the Share button (located on the top left face of the controller) and how it will be used. The PlayStation 4 aims to have a focus on connecting you, the gamer, with social media. In this case, pushing the Share button is a quick and easy way to broadcast your gameplay footage online. Viewers can even leave comments as well. This seems to be a way for Sony to tap into the recent popularity of the “Let’s Play” style videos which are common to find on YouTube.

The Share button located on the top left face of the controller

As you can plainly see on the new DualShock 4, a touchpad has been added. This is likely going to be an optional feature that developers can use in their games similar to how the touchpads for the PlayStation Vita are used. I can already see hacking or lock picking minigames make use of this.

Speaking of the Vita, crossplay will be given more of a focus this time around between the PlayStation 4 and its handheld cousin. Sony made it clear during the event that they plan to make almost all PS4 titles playable through the Vita using a WiFi connection. This will be made possible through the recent acquisition of Gaikai, a company that specializes on cloud-based gaming. If we are to understand all this correctly, you should technically be able to access your gaming library anywhere. That alone is making me seriously consider picking up a PlayStation Vita in the near future.

A potential gamechanger

This makes me wonder on how the Vita will be marketed in the future. One of the bigest criticisms of the handheld is the lackluster library of titles available. Will Sony bolster up more support or is it destined to just be an outlet to play console games on the go? It doesn’t help either that the recently announced price cut for the PlayStation Vita is only scheduled to take place in Japan. We can only hope to see either more value added to it or a price cut worldwide by the time the new console arrives.

A lot of talk was made about blurring the lines of what makes an enjoyable gaming experience and types of gamers that are out there. During the event, a really swanky looking video played featuring some of the best designers in the industry today giving their take on what they’d like to see in the future. Check it out!

What console would be without great games to accompany it? There were a load of titles announced that I won’t get into just yet here. Instead, I intend to make a video to showcase each announcement and give my take on them. Stay tuned for that tomorrow as we focus on the PlayStation 4 games we know so far!

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - Could Bungie’s next sci-fi foray actually be better than Halo?

Prepare to make a date with Destiny!

It’s officially out there. Bungie, the creators of the much acclaimed Halo franchise, have officially unveiled their new IP. Titled Destiny, this new sci-fi foray aims to not only match the quality found in their previous games, but to surpass it.

Make no mistake, this is an ambitious project. Bungie has a 10 year plan in motion for Destiny that looks to have a major effect on console gaming as well as the mobile market. Not only that, every attempt to categorize it has been shot down as well. Is it a first-person shooter? MMO? According to the studio, it’s in a genre all on its own classified as a “shared world shooter” which combines elements of the aforementioned archetypes.

So, what is it exactly? What’s Destiny even about? Are Bungie in over their heads? How ambitious can this get? Let’s dive into what we do know and speculate on what this could all mean for the foreseeable future.

First off, the look of this game is incredible. There’s some rich diversity of settings on display in the above video ranging from dilapidated cities to snowy landscapes. Right off the bat, we are given the impression that this will be a game with some gorgeous environments to explore.

“Where’s a space heater when you need one? Am I right?”

From what we gather, some catastrophic event took place that likely spawned from an alien attack. You play as a Guardian who lives in the last human city that lies underneath a big floating sphere called the Traveler. This spherical entity apparently gave up its life in protecting humanity. The implications behind this or who the Traveler was is unclear. I’m already a bit confused how a moon-sized bowling ball acted as Earth’s savior. Being science fiction, I’m sure there’s some grand-scale explanation for it.

“The Traveler has come! Choose and perish!”

As said before, Destiny plans to be a beast of a game which combines elements from the FPS and MMO genres. My thinking automatically wants to think of something like a Fallout 3 or Borderlands type of experience. What Bungie has in store, however, seems to take that concept a hundred times over.

One aspect of the game that instantly grabbed my attention is the idea that you will always be online interacting with other players on a continuous basis. This can be both intriguing and scary at the same time. Server issues come to mind particularly after the dreaded Error 37 that occurred upon the release of Diablo III. Hopefully, Bungie will be able to tackle those challenges if and when they approach them.

This “always online” approach pushes the idea that players will be interacting with one another in a true living and breathing universe. That’s right, not world. I said UNIVERSE. You can visit cities like Chicago or travel to other planets such as Mars. Even the weather changes dynamically. It all sounds quite impressive and expansive which leads me to wonder just how much exploration will be involved. If so, there better be a quick and simple fast travel system added.

“You stay classy, Planet Earth!”

Exploring every crevice of the known universe is cool and all but what about me? What about my character? Based on what Bungie has revealed, there will be no skimping in building your own personal Guardian primed for combat.

There were three classes revealed with more expected to be added for the full release. So far, we have the Hunter whom I suspect will use stealth and/or sniper rifles. The Warlock will more likely than not be the prime “magic user” with full range of the powers available in the game. Finally, we have the Titan who seems to be your run-of-the-mill soldier class.

Guardian classes (from left to right): Hunter, Warlock, and Titan

In true Bungie fashion, there will be vehicles you can use to get around the world and for combat. Expanding on this, though, will be space ships which you can customize and make into a de facto base for your character. I’m pretty excited about this aspect since I imagine your ship can be visible to other players which ought to visually display your space badassery via trophies and upgrades.

He could use an upgrade…

One quick thing I have to mention that makes me super giddy with glee is the fact Bungie doesn’t plan to add a subscription fee for Destiny. Past MMOs have failed primarily because of the monthly cost that tends to accompany them. Granted that this is not an MMO per se, it’s certainly the type of game that would include this.

There will also be the use of mobile devices via a Destiny app. Although not much has been revealed yet on this front, it’s expected that you’ll be able to communicate with friends, check your stats, and get updates on missions. It’s just another way to keep you involved in the game without even sitting in front of it. Those of us who plan to dive into this world ought to start kissing our lives goodbye.

This is your family now.

Keep in mind that this will be the first game of what Bungie and publisher Activision hopes to be a mega-franchise. It’s exciting yet frightening because of the amount of pressure the studio must be feeling. Judging from the video and their past titles, a lot of them seem up to the challenge and excited to tackle such an enormous project.

The fact that Destiny will be on consoles, never mind the current-gen ones, is mind-boggling to me. Everything I hear and what I’ve seen leads me to believe that this would have been a PC exclusive. I’m concerned with the possibility that Bungie is painting themselves into a “Peter Molyneux-like” situation making promises that they won’t be able to deliver. If they do succeed, however, It could really cement the studio as the golden boy of the industry and first-person shooters in particular.

“If you build it, they will shoot.”

Could it be better than Halo though? Those are some big shoes to fill but if anyone is up to the task then it’s the guys who created the franchise to begin with. Let us know your thoughts on this ambitious game in the comments section below!

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - Ever dreamed of building your own “man-cave” that’s full of video games and outfitted with its own bar?

It’s the American dream come true!

Having a setup like that can be difficult for a number of reasons. You may not have space or a significant other may object to your geek-tastic fantasy. The fine folks at DreamArcades.com, however, seem to have answered our prayers with an “inebriation station” they call the Dreamcade Vision Kegerator (DVK)!

Like most machines of this type, the DVK is loaded with 145 games and boasts a 29 inch monitor. It can even act as an MP3 jukebox. The real kicker though is the ability to add in a half keg (or dual ten gallon kegs) and pour yourself a drink through any of the three built-in taps. Now that’s service!

As you can see from the image, there’s also a light gun that comes with it for games like Big Buck Hunter and House of the Dead III. More games can be added such as Street Fighter II, Q*bert, Castlevania, and Contra.

There’s currently a sale running until February 20th which knocks it down to $3,999. If you have four grand burning a hole in your pocket, there are much worse ways to spend it than this.

[SOURCE]

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - We go back in time to see what a Microsoft/Sega alliance would have looked like!

What kind of ripple effect would a move like this make?

A recent story broke out  IGN in regards to talks Microsoft had with Sega when it was gearing up to enter the game console market. It goes into some detail over a plan to acquire Sega to help develop a new system using a stripped down version of Windows as the platform. These plans obviously never materialized. Instead, Microsoft pushed forward on their own and left Sega in the dust.

We are left wondering, though. What would a Microsoft/Sega alliance have looked like? How would Sony have responded? Let’s get hypothetical!

As history had it, the Sega Dreamcast fell to Sony’s hugely successful PlayStation 2 which resulted in “the company that Sonic built” to become a third-party developer. This left an opening for Microsoft to release their debut console, the Xbox.

Before a concept for the Xbox was even made, Microsoft was simply looking to be a part of the console market without being a major competitor. Behind closed doors, a potential deal was in the works to buy Sega and have them develop a console so as to alleviate manufacturing costs. Ultimately, a decision was made to move forward alone because of a lack of confidence that they would be able to take down Sony.

“Boys, play nice!”

If this deal happened, Sega would have had another shot in the system wars. Although they wouldn’t have been their own entity, it sounds like a fate they were more willing to accept rather than dropping out entirely.

The lineup of IPs available from the get go is an instant strength. Microsoft would have been able to financially back quality titles from Sega’s diverse library of properties such as Sonic the Hedgehog, Ecco the Dolphin, and Nights. The financial strength of said franchises has to come into question, however, especially in an age where the first-person shooter started to grow in popularity. Who knows if Halo would have been an exclusive on this console as it was for the Xbox. Hell, who knows if it would have been made for consoles at all.

Y Halo thar, PC gamers!

There’s also the consideration over what would happen if this console were to succeed or fail. If the former, Sega is instantly back to form and may experience their biggest success as a company. Microsoft will be happy also proving that they can hang with the likes of Sony and Nintendo although in a very different position. If the latter, Sega likely goes the route they did as a third-party developer or even bankrupt in a worst case scenario. In turn, we would likely have seen Microsoft turn away from console gaming licking their wounds as they focus on something else. This would likely just be a setback that they bounce back from and attempt again in roughly 8-10 years time.

In this alternate timeline, we would have also seen a major gap in console market. Without anyone else stepping in, Sony would monopolize HD console gaming. Nintendo will play by the beat of their own drum leading the way for motion controls with some beefier sales figures being the only real difference.

If we were to see another company try their luck, I believe it would be Apple. They have enough resources to make the risk be a drop in the bucket. To be competitive, they could potentially buy up a number of big name studios. One that comes to mind would be Valve. The infinite resources and financial backing of Apple combined with Valve’s creativity and Steam platform would be a living nightmare for both Sony and Nintendo. Having no Microsoft to compete against would make an aggressive move like this a no-brainer despite what the late Steve Jobs would have said.

“Excuse me there, fellas…”

Please let us know your thoughts on this topic in the comments section below!

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - In honor of it being Black History Month, we’re going to count down the best video game characters of African descent.

Who rises above the all too common stereotype found in video games?

In picking these, I tried to keep in mind to avoid characters who were either very one dimensional or offensively stereotypical. There may be exceptions if the character is memorable or hilarious or have any other redeeming quality that wins over any negative qualities. Otherwise, we’re mainly looking for actual well-developed fictional folks here. Let’s get to it!

5. Augustus Cole (Gears of War series)

“End of the world, baby. Wouldn’t wanna be anywhere else. “

We kick off this list with none other than the “Cole Train” himself, Augustus Cole! Yes, he’s loud and plays the equivalent of football in the Gears of War universe making him guilty of falling in the stereotypical category. He wins out simply because of his personality being a fan favorite of the franchise and voiced by Lester Speight AKA Terry Tate from those awesome Reebok commercials. When a guy oozes that much fun and charisma, I can’t fault him too much for not living up to the “Cosbian” standard of black men.

4. Dudley (Street Fighter series)

“Despite your manners, I like your style. Let me buy you a drink…”

Wish you could fight like a gentleman? Let Dudley show you how! This British boxer made his debut in the Street Fighter III series where he immediately became popular for his combo heavy play style and pompous quips. You know when a proper beating has gone down when you’re called “gutter trash” with a rose flung on your battered body.

3. Barret Wallace (Final Fantasy VII)

“You can’t give up now! There ain’t no gettin’ off of this train we on! “

Everyone’s favorite potty mouthed eco-terrorist from one of the most popular entries in the Final Fantasy franchise was a shoe-in for this list. If the Mr. T look and badass gatling gun for an arm isn’t enough to win you over, there’s also the legitimate love and care he shows for his daughter Marlene. His more tender moments contradicts his rough exterior nicely to make Barret a complex character whom we can believe in.

2. David Anderson (Mass Effect series)

“Shepard… damned if you aren’t a sight for sore eyes.”

As the only character to appear in practically every iteration of the Mass Effect franchise (games, books, and the animated film Paragon Lost), this former captain of the Normandy has become a prominent figure both on Earth and all over the galaxy. He’s a decorated war hero and was almost the first human to become a Spectre (galactic agent) before Commander Shepard is bestowed the honor. Voiced by the undeniably cool Keith David, Anderson is a natural leader with a level head and instinctual call to duty for what he believes in.

1. Lee Everett (The Walking Dead)

“Anyone who tries to get between me and her are gonna wind up dead!”

If you know me, then this was an easy choice for the top spot. I freakin’ loved The Walking Dead by Telltale Games and a big part of that had to do with the characters. Lee is already in a bad situation before stumbling into a world overrun by the undead. Despite being a convicted killer, he runs into a little girl named Clementine and takes it upon himself to protect her at all costs. This paternal relationship he forms with her along with a straight forward approach to handling problems makes him an interesting and endearing character. The voice work by actor Dave Fennoy really sells the underlying guilt and confliction this man is going through as you’re faced with one tough decision after another. I won’t spoil the ending here but our last time seeing Lee is one that requires a box of tissues for even the hardiest of folks.

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.

(iWIDK By David Giltinan/Ultra Mega Death Ray) - Slow and steady won the online race for the PlayStation 3.

Can the next Sony console continue this trend?

The PlayStation 3 has seen its fair share of stumbles (there’s that word again!) throughout its life cycle. From the $600 price tag upon launch to the PlayStation Network outage, it’s amazing to see Sony still pushing strong in this console generation. As a matter of fact, I’m about to make the argument that the future is looking brighter than ever for the company.

We start off with what I, and a lot of other gamers, look at first when assessing a system; the games. I’ve personally always been one to err on the side of the Xbox 360 when it comes to multi-platform games simply because almost every developer builds off of that version first. The differences between the PS3 and 360 versions of games are usually subtle. In other cases, however, you can end up with poor conversions (take Bayonetta and Skyrim as examples).

Sony has responded well to this fact by having exclusive content on their system’s version of games. Some great examples of this include Kratos in the new Mortal Kombat or the Benedict Arnold missions in Assassin’s Creed III. It’s those little things that can easily push someone with both consoles in your favor. Hell, I ended up picking up the PS3 version of Portal 2 simply for the ability to connect with Steam and have a PC copy to boot!

What system isn’t without its exclusives? Admittedly, the only games I was even interested in playing early in the PS3′s life cycle that fit this mold was God of War III and Heavy Rain. Once again, Sony came through to rectify this problem though by building up strong IPs such as Uncharted and Infamous to name a couple. On top of that, there are plenty of big name games coming out like The Last of Us and Beyond: Two Souls. The recently released Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is another PS3 only title that’s already buzzing as being a contender for game of the year.

Still can’t get over that these are in-game graphics

There’s one thing that really sets the PlayStation 3 apart from its competitors that I would have never guessed until recently.

*deep breath*

PlayStation Plus blows all other premium online gaming subscriptions out of the water.

That’s right, I said it. Me, the guy who would almost always stand up for Xbox Live, has to admit the obvious in this case. How can you blame me? In its current build, a PS+ account grants you an instant game library full of ready to download games for free that has recently included heavy hitters such as Darksiders, BioShock 2, Infamous 2, Super Street Fighter IV, Little Big Planet 2, and many more. There are also deep discounts on games like The Unfinished Swan, Jak & Daxter, Ratchet & Clank, and Little Big Planet Karting. I won’t even get into the free 60 minute trials that are always available. All this is available for a very manageable $50 per year (with an extra 3 months tacked on in this current deal).

The Pinnacle of Value

While we have made many points on the value of a PS+ account, it’s hard to get an idea on just how amazing it is without comparing it to something else. The “something else” that we’ll use in this case is Xbox Live Gold.

It has become increasingly more difficult to defend a service which doesn’t offer anything quite like the PS3′s instant game collection. On top of that, however, there are barely any discounts to speak of minus some rare instances of “throwing a bone” here and there.

But wait, there’s more (less?)!

A lot of folks use Netflix on game consoles. We can agree on that, right? As long as you have an account, you’re good to go… on PlayStation 3 anyway. Accessing the Netflix app (and pretty much every other app) requires an Xbox Live Gold account. Sometimes Microsoft will offer weekends where everyone can use Gold services. These are few and far between, though.

That’s just cold Microsoft.

I will give Xbox Live the nod in terms of quality of online play. Yes, you do have to be a Gold member to play online as opposed to it being free on the PS3. That’s a moment where I can see the money being put into a quality service that offers cross-play chat and security.

Now with the announcement of what appears to be the next Sony console looming near, we can hope and expect that the company takes what worked with PlayStation Plus on the PS3 into the upcoming cycle. This is the perfect example of the saying, “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” In that case, it looks like Sony will be crossing the finish line with champagne and flowers in hand.

David Giltinan writes about movies, video games, and is a nerd-culture expert. He writes consistently on his website UltraMegaDeathRay.com.