360 less than 720? Let's Hope So.

So rumor has it that the next gen Xbox(Xbox 720 as the fans are calling it) will be announced and debuted at CES 2012. Here is an interesting question to all you Xbox’ers out there: What in the way of features are you looking for in the next Xbox or series of consoles in general? Our executive manager at Pittco asked me that very question.

“With the recent speculation that the next version of the Xbox will be announced at CES 2012, what should gamer's expect to see in Microsoft's latest console? Secondly, with the quick dismissal of the original Xbox after the launch of the Xbox 360, do you feel that Microsoft will continue to support the Xbox 360 to the extent that Sony did with the PS2 after the launch of the PS3? Why or Why not?”

I can tell you one thing for sure I am expecting: Fast. Fast menus, fast response, and fast controllers. In my humble opinion, the 360 is running on an out dated and dead processor and it is simply killing it. The console is so far behind on the times in the way of graphics that it is insulting, at times, to say that you own an Xbox. So the graphics have to be improved right off the bat. Bottom line: BLU RAY.

Microsoft backed the wrong horse as far as the HD medium market was concerned and put HD DVD drives in all of their units. Problem: Porn backed Blu Ray, so the industry backed Blu Ray. HD DVD dies off as does the ability to really play anything other than DVDs in your 360. Games will be able to be bigger, requiring less discs for your experience and a better overall presentation. Blu Ray is a must.

As far as Xbox 360 dying when the 720 hits… I whole heartedly expect it. While it has been around for quite a while, the lifespan of the 360 has been marred with problems. Everyone is well aware of the ‘red rings of death’ and the problems caused by overheating the box. 1 in 5 people you ask about their Xbox will tell you that they have had their console shipped back to Microsoft for repairs. I expect that within 6 months of the 720’s release, the 360 will be all but extinct, especially if the timing is right.

With the rumor being an announcement at CES, that will time it just right to be released around the holidays of 2012… what else is usually released in the holidays season as far as gaming? Three words folks: Call… of… Duty…

How else would you help to market the biggest gaming launch of the year(assuming that Activision keeps with its trend of releasing 1 CoD game a year) but by coupling it with the launch of the next generation Xbox? The guys in the PR department for either company would cream their pants at the opportunity to dual release.

All in all, it is time. There was a period in the past couple years when the Xbox was the system to have. Now, outside of the Kinect, it is starting to fall behind and Microsoft needs a boost to keep it in the forefront.

The biggest question not asked? How many of you PS3 players will switch to Xbox if the new one is better?

Quality Control Died with Our Pride

Major problem in gaming today: Quality control is dead.

It astonishes me that the two biggest multiplayer games of the year have been released and marred with server and service problems.

Battlefield 3 was released on October 25th, 2011. As of Sunday evening(the last time I played the game with friends) it was still having issues getting people who are in the same squad on the loading screen, into the same squad in a match. My issue is this: Battlefield 3 had a beta. In said beta, squad issues were a problem. This problem carried over from the beta to the actual release.

Why bother having a beta if you aren't going to fix one of the most restrictive bugs in the multiplayer experience? Battlefield has been known, since day one, as a multiplayer game. Single player campaigns weren't seriously added on until Bad Company in 2008. Building this awesome reputation with the PC crowd really bolstered their legacy, but as they started to make their way into the console area, it seems that they are playing on the success that has yet to be found.

Battlefield 3 had the potential to take down Call of Duty as the major FPS for the year. But the fact that squads can't play together has killed that ambition. It really is a shame because I honestly feel as though it had the chance.

Another example is the aforementioned Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3. After the lackluster experience in BF3, I was really hoping the MW3 was going to kill it. As it turns out, the game itself is one of the most enjoyable games in the franchise thus far. The problem that I am having right now(outside of a long wait for games) is the add-on service, Call of Duty Elite.

Activision had planned on making bank on an application geared toward the professional player. Giving stats and on hand values to things such as heat maps and breakdown of performance was originally marketed to the person playing MLG matches. A beta was released and 250,000 or so took part.

Problem: Those 250,000 showed their friends, so showed their friends, who showed their friends. Now, the beta was rendered useless because of the overwhelming support for the product. The premium service costs 49.99, has been available since Midnight on Tuesday November 8th, 2011 and has yet to work. Claiming that their servers just can't handle the load that has come in, more than half of the people trying to register for the service have been met with a screen saying the an internal server error has occured.

For, this is a problem. I spent money on a service that runs for a year. Am I going to be compensated for the time that the service was unavailable? No. Is there a time line for how long it will take for the service to be activated and fully functional? No. Yet another beta that has been rendered useless because quality control died.

I understand that cost effectiveness is something the businesses have to look at, but what ever happened to preparing for the worst? This was obviously not on Activision's to do as their overly hyped up premium service is dying at their feet.

One shining example of a game that has the quality control that seems to be lost on everyone else is Batman: Arkham City. I have been playing for 3 weeks now and have yet to find a bug. That is simply incredible. If more companies would simply set their sights on something better, or perhaps if the consumer were a little more demanding, then the overall quality of all things would increase.

Keyboard+Mouse=Console Controller?

So I receive an email from our Executive Manager here at Pittco about doing an opinion piece to be posted on the new website. Obviously, you are reading it now. I said that I would love to do any kind of article, and kindly asked about the topic he wished me to offer my insight on. Then came the pile of dog crap that he laid on me. “For years 3^rd party companies have explored the idea of adding the functionality of a Keyboard and Mouse to consoles. None have truly caught on. What if the console manufacturers got behind the implementation of a console keyboard and mouse? How would it affect PC gaming and what would happen to the console controllers?” Are you kidding me? Well, thanks Nik. You’ve only handed me one of the hardest topics in gaming to render an opinion on. Please revert all pitchforks and burning torches to the home Mr. Parenti.

But, being the opinionated person that I am, I feel it is my duty as an avid console player to tell you how I feel on this particular controversial topic and decided to go ahead with writing it anyway.

Let’s start with what would happen if console manufacturers got behind adding keyboard and mouse capabilities to console gaming. Do I think it would catch on? Of course I do. How awesome would it be if PC gamers didn’t have to put upgrades into their rigs every year to get it up to par for the next big game? Consoles have offered a very stream lined process for developing games. When a system is released, it keeps that tech in place for 5-7 years before the next gen console comes out. While the styles of the individual system may change (i.e. PS2 Mini, 360 Slim, etc.) the processors, graphics card and mostly the output that the systems produce keep the games mostly the same for the amount of time that the systems are in place.

Keeping that tech in place, allows you to run the same basic rig for 7 years. Being that most PC players just want the accuracy that a keyboard and mouse put in place, I think a lot of them would convert to consoles just for the money factor. This would obviously cause the console gaming scene to explode and I think that we would see a significant drop in the PC gaming scene… Again, assuming that it was a seamless transition. Me? I’m a purist. I will most likely use a controller for the rest of the time that I can. While mice may let you be more accurate, I think that controllers are easier to manage in the end. And I think that it is people like me that would keep them around. Many console gamers have switched to PC gaming because you can get controllers for a PC that are programmable. I think we would see a similar influx if Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo all jumped on board with the production of a keyboard and mouse for its consoles.

I will say this: I don’t think that this topic is too far from transforming from a speculation to a realization. Windows 8 will already put into place the framework of letting PC players compete with Xbox players. Once the Xbox players get owned a few times, I can see a marketing ploy ready in the wings for a keyboard and mouse to make the console player more evenly equipped. Be ready for the future folks, it isn’t as far-fetched as you might think.

Oh, for my next riot inducing article, I’ll attack the topic of which player is better, the console or PC. I’m sure that will certainly get an Frankenstein-esk fight started.

Battlefield 3 Tomorrow.

I've followed the development, I've seen the videos, and I've played in the beta.

Tomorrow is launch night for Battlefield 3 and yours truly will be playing the minute I get home from the midnight release. Expect a review for the single player with in a week or so and the multiplayer probably in 3-4 days.

If you are looking for a squad for tomorrow's release: TheJAEffect on the 360.

Game Review: 'Batman: Arkham City'

Welcome back, Ladies and Gents. For my first real review, I'll be going over Rocksteady Studios' Batman: Arkham City. Now while I haven't played the whole game yet, I have gotten through the a bunch of it. I've played through about 4 hours worth of the 12 hour boasted gameplay and let me say that this game has some WOW factor to it. Before I get to that though, let's go through what you get with the pre-order of the game.

Through GameStop, I got the Batman: The Animated Series batsuit, Joker Carnival mini map, and the Batman: Arkham City soundtrack included in the game. All copies that were pre-ordered were also shipped with the ability to play as Catwoman. From what I understand, Best Buy received the Robin pack as their pre-order bonus. All in all, I'm impressed with the amount of in game content that Rocksteady provided. Enough rewards to pre-order, but nothing that isn't going to be available to everyone in a few weeks.

Now for the game play.

Firstly, the world is amazing. The game is set a year after Arkham Asylum. The asylum has been closed down and the prisoners have been moved to a section of Gotham City specially designed for the inmates. You basically are flying around a beat up section of Gotham fighting waves upon waves of foes who will do anything to take you down.

Speaking of the Asylum, you start with most of the gadgets that were unlocked in Arkham Asylum. Which means favorites like the remote controlled batarang, exploding gel and a few others are bringing pain to the villains from the get go.

One of the major improvements that is noticeable very early in game play is the new fighting mechanic. In Arkham Asylum, fighting 15 enemies was a challenge, but do-able. In Arkham City, with the proper technique, I can engage 25-30 people and manage to take them all down fairly quickly. The improved counter and attack system really makes things fluid and combat is much, much better. With the cooperation of gadgets and combos during the fight, no one stands a chance against the Dark Knight.

The next major improvement is the in-game sound bites that are happening all over Arkham City as you travel from section to section. Right from the onset, Batman hacks into the bad guys' radio frequency, allowing you to listen in on their comms from a distance. The stuff that is said over the radio is not only informative, but occasionally hilarious. You can listen to what the guy right below REALLY thinks about Catwoman as she is hanging over a vat of acid. Good stuff there.

The music is another great addition. While the music from Arkham Asylum was great, this adds in more detailed music throughout the scenes allowing for the drama to really get to you as things are getting intense. The music FEELS like Batman for sure.

Some other things that are very Bat-like are the amount of great, but subtle nods to the bat-fans out there. Just a few are the appearance of Ace Chemicals, Vicki Vale and and even Alfred, who was absent from Arkham Asylum.

All in all, for a beginner to the experienced gamer a like, Batman: Arkham City is a great buy. It will provide you countless hours of fun just in the storyline alone. Take into account the amount of Riddler Trophies(also returning), miscellaneous side missions scattered throughout the map, and the definite release of DLC in the coming weeks and this game will have you glued to the TV for a long period of time.

Pittco Rating:

Each catagory is rated out of a 5 point system. 5 points being the best, 0 being the worst.

Presentation: 4

The only thing that I think was lacking in this game is the proper amount of back story. While it is a sequel, the chance of someone picking the game up simply because they heard that the first one was good is highly likely. That being said, you would have no idea what is going on until you delve a little deeper outside of the game for the back story as to what happened in the Asylum.

Graphics: 5

The graphics are simply amazing. Just the textures alone are rendered so fantastically that while gliding through the City, you can find yourself focusing on the world, rather than your intended destination. The Bat-Suit is also a great piece in the game. After each battle, it gets a little more tattered and torn. A keen eye will also see the effect the story has on Batman as well. Great graphics and even better attention to detail.

Sound: 5

Between the soundtrack and the multitude of inmates talking throughout the game, the track is fantastic. Also take into account that Rocksteady brought in the Batman alumni of Kevin Conroy and Mark Hammill(who voiced Batman and Joker, respectively, in Batman: The Animated Series and are also fan favorites) to lead the all-star voice cast and you have a winning combination.

Gameplay: 4

The only problem I have with the game play is certain areas of the game direct you to do what the game wants. For example: Floating on an ice berg, about 10 feet from the dock. If the iceberg was a ledge, you would be able to jump from the ledge to the dock no problem, but because there is water in between, you can't jump. You have to get it next to the edge. This is prevalent throughout certain levels that it REQUIRES you to use some of your gadgets. While it will helps you to learn to use them and things of that nature, you shouldn't be restricted by the use of these things.

Replay Value: 5

The story is great, the graphics are great, and the game play is great. What else do you need to want to replay a great game?

Overall: 4 out of 5.

With the small amount of flaws in the game, this one will keep you entertained WELL over the 12 hours that it is said to complete it.

"A New Beginning"

Boy, oh boy... It has been a long time since I have even logged onto the blog. I'm going to be honest with you: Blogging has gone by the way-side with me in the recent years.

I can remember posting long, endearing notes on Facebook and people actually caring. Whatev.

I've decided to start blogging a little more consistently, and not just about my rants and things of that sort. I want to provide some opinions and reviews on things that are generally effecting my life and the lives of those around me.

So, that being said, starting tonight The JA Effect is back.

My first real review will be of Batman: Arkham City, which comes out tomorrow at 12AM(or 10 hours, give or take a minute). I will have it in my hands by 12:10 and will be playing by 12:45. I hope to have a very basic review on the first stage of the game by tomorrow evening of the same time.

Stick around if you want to hear more about games, hockey, food, or just life in general. Everyone has a blog, but no one has me.