Sleepy Gamer

Starcraft II will become a trilogy of games.. Due to a ridiculously ambitious (note: over budget) single-player campaign, the RTS sequel will be released as three separate products, with an epic campaign for each race, complete with adventure gameplay, RPG elements, and a bit of Guitar Hero throw in for good measure.  I think we can all assume that both new expansions will also offer slight multi-player tweaks to each set of units and tech trees, just as all Blizzard expansions have in the past.  Although, it is a little disappointing that we won’t be seeing much of the Zerg and Protoss space opera until those secondary games come out.  The pricing and release schedule will be very telling as for how much of that evil Activision DNA has seeped into the Blizzard house, post merger.

New Diablo III class, the “Wizard”, is the only bombshell announced during the Blizzcon opening ceremony.. Following in the footsteps of other recent Asian game characters, such as that chick from Portal or that other chick from Mirror’s Edge, the third D3 class gives the Sorceress a fresh new look.  From my playthrough at Blizzcon, it’s definitely shaping up to be a lot of fun for all you power-hungry, mana-burning lovers out there.  Did I mention, you get the spell “Magic Missle”?

Microsoft announces New Xbox Experience (NXE) will launch Nov 19th.. For those scratching their head, that would be the “oh so clever” MS branding for the new Xbox360 Fall Update.  Among the new features are a totally redesigned user interface (think coverflow), cute player avatars (think Xbox Miis), party system (think PSN Home), and Netflix integration (yay, something sort of original!).  Too bad those Xbox360 “Arcade” owners will need at least 128MB of memory card space to enjoy those new features.

The upcoming Resident Evil: Degeneration CG-movie was screened at the Toyko Game Show (TGS).. Unlike the previous, live-action, Milla Jovovich-starring films, this new film promises to be 100% canon to the game series and actually works to link the Umbrella Corp storyline from the first three games with the upcoming RE5 game.  Good for long-time fans of the survival horror series and great for catching up newcomers in need of some backstory.  So yeah, this won’t be another Final Fantasy: Spirits Within..

Console revisions are nothing new to the gaming industry.  A look in history will show us that most successful systems has gone through at least 3 console revisions.  Take a look at the Genesis, Gameboy, PS2, and the list goes on.  This generation is no different.  These changes are made to either reach a new markets, introduce better security, or just to save a couple of bucks.  Here’s a general look at what we’ll be expecting this generation.

20GB, 40GB, 60GB, 80GB, 160GB, what next?

Since its November 2006 release, there has been a total of 5 PS3 model changes.  Initially, you had the choice of a 20GB or 60GB model retailing at $499 and $599 respectively.  Despite the enormous price tag, Sony was still taking a $300 loss for each console sold.  They needed a way to bring the price down fast if they wanted more consumers to purchase their platform.  In late 2007, Sony introduced the 40GB and 80GB models for $399 and $499.  Although that seemed like a much better deal, one key feature was lost… backwards compatibility.  The older 20GB and 60GB models, included the PS2 “Emotion Engine” CPU that allowed it to natively play PS2 games.  To save manufacturing costs, this CPU was removed from the later models.  Thus, the 80GB model only provided limited PS2 backwards compatibility through software emulation, while the 40GB cannot play PS2 games at all.  Just recently, Sony announced a newer 80GB and 160GB models to replace the current ones.  Like the 40GB model, the new revisions will completely remove PS2 backwards compatibility as well.  Don’t worry, you’ll still be able to play your old PSOne games.

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It wasn’t too long ago that game exclusivity was king among “third party” blockbusters like Final Fantasy and Guitar Hero.  When games were only released on one system and one system alone.  However, with this console generation having no clear cut leader to shoulder the burden of millions of sales, like it was during the Playstation 2 era, the ideas of exclusivity are beginning to change.  But why move away from single platform exclusivity when it’s obviously much easier to develop for one system?  The sad truth is that game development costs are a lot higher now than they were a few years ago.  The move to HD graphics means much more detailed art assets are required and production quality expectations are at an all time high.  Just like the movie business, video games are turning into a big budget, blockbuster-obsessed industry.  So game publishers are finding little reason to stick to one platform when they could be selling to a much wider audience.

The concept of exclusivity is not altogether dead yet.  Although not an entirely new idea, timed exclusivity is one way Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are continuing to compete for dominance in the continuing console war.  Traditionally, when a game receives a timed exclusivity window of a year or more, sales are generally skewed heavily toward the first version of the game, since all the buzz and anticipation will have worn off by the time the ported game comes out.  After all, the Grand Theft Auto series became a timed exclusive for the PS2, which later appeared on both the PC and Xbox.  The same could be said for Resident Evil 4, which first debuted on Nintendo’s Gamecube and was later ported to PS2.  Today, the timed exclusive has all but replaced the “third party” exclusive.  Bioshock and Eternal Sonata were both timed exclusives for the Xbox360 and Unreal Tournament III was temporarily a PS3-only game.

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The successor to the ever popular Nintendo DS handheld, the DSi, is revealed.. Among some of the new features, the DSi boasts larger screens, an even slimmer form factor, standard web browser, 2 built-in 0.3 megapixel cameras (one aimed outward in front, one inside aimed at the user), and an SD memory card slot.  Also, be prepared to start downloading DS games from a new, online, portable store.  But if you live outside Japan, don’t expect to get your hands on one before 2009.

Flurry of announced Nintendo games, including a new Punch-Out!.. The new DS revision wasn’t the only news to come out of the recent Nintendo conference.  Other announced titles include Sin and Punishment 2, Fire Emblem DS, and Mario and Luigi RPG 3.  Also, get ready for even more Gamecube Wii-makes, namely Metroid Primes 1 & 2, Mario Tennis, Donkey Kong Jungle Beat, and Pikmin.

Those pesky Wii HD rumors just won’t go away.. Seems the latest sources predict the next Nintendo console to launch sometime in 2011 and offer a more significant leap in hardware than the jump from Gamecube to Wii.  Yet to be seen is whether or not the new system will iterate on the “making you look ridiculous while playing” novelty that made the Wii such a truly unique experience.

PlayOn Beta for PS3 and Xbox360 gives the gift of Netflix, Hulu and other online video streaming.. Why wait for Netflix streaming in the upcoming Xbox360 dashboard update when you can do all that and more with PlayOn.  Sign up for the beta now!

Take-Two decides to remain independent after the failed EA hostile takeover attempt.. The mid-sized publisher behind such game series’ as Grand Theft Auto and the 2K line of sports titles avoids the consolidation that has become almost routine in the industry.