Amazon Video Game Console coming late 2013?

There are rumors floating around right now that state that Amazon will be making their very first video game console soon and that it'll be out before 2014 strikes! It apparently won't be made to compete with the Xbox One or Playstation 4, but rather against such consoles as the OUYA and the like. I'm not totally sure what I think of all these consoles that are coming out. On the one hand they are brand new ways to play video games, but on the other, you can play the same type of games on your smartphone. A controller will always trump a touchscreen (mostly) in my opinion, so that is a Are you ready?plus to playing on these consoles. I'm just still not too sure they are great ideas and money well spent.But the OUYA console is only $99, and in some form or fashion every game on the console offers free gameplay, whether it's a demo, a small portion of the game, or so on. That is a plus, because the other major consoles from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony don't do that. It's not something that game makers definitely need to do, but it's definitely nice to get a shot at a game before putting cash down on it. So if Amazon does something like this with their console, if it is real mind you, then that would be pretty cool. Plus Amazon has a ton of other services that you can choose from, including movies and TV shows. If those were able to be accessed on their new console then that would give them a major advantage over other similar gaming consoles.Personally I love Amazon. I love shopping there, I love the Kindle Fire, and I just think they are a great company. I also love video games and consoles. I'd have no problem putting down some cash on a console they come up with, if it offers something good and different. I'm getting a PS4, ironically enough through Amazon, and I won't get the Amazon console if it doesn't offer something great that the PS4 doesn't. I know it won't be the powerhouse that the PS4 will be; I would never expect that, especially if this is a simple Android console. But that doesn't mean that Amazon can't make something great here! I hope something cool comes from all of this. Only time will tell, but if this game console is coming by late 2013 we will definitely hear more about it soon!

Posted on: 11 August 2013 | 7:19 pm

NASCAR Trucks at Eldora Speedway-Dirt racing!

What a race!NASCAR hadn't raced on dirt (in any of their 3 main series) in over 40 years. Richard Petty, the King of NASCAR, was the last one to have won on dirt back then. That all changed going into the 2013 season of the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. After seeing the Mudsummer Classic run last week I can tell you this very strongly: NASCAR belongs back on the dirt. Tony Stewart, a few months back, went to NASCAR with the idea that one of the main 3 NASCAR series should be running on his Eldora Dirt Speedway. They agreed, and for the first time in over 4 decades a top NASCAR series ran on dirt, officially. And it didn't disappoint.This race was absolutely epic. There were several qualifying races (in addition to more normal qualifying) that set the field for the race, and if you didn't advance through one of the qualifying races there was a last chance event that gave you one last shot at being in the field. And this was a field you wanted to be in. There was almost as much excitement around this NASCAR event as there was for the 1994 running of the Brickyard 400! That's saying a lot. The race was run in late July. It was sold out in January. That is something NASCAR sorely needs, even if it means that the crowd is less than what a sold out Indianapolis Motor Speedway would be. They need events like this that are so large that it is sold out more than 5 months in advance! People from 48 of the 50 states bought tickets and attended, with a few coming from out of the USA. Remember: this was all for a truck race. That isn't meant as a slam to the truck series, but that series is to NASCAR Cup racing what high school football would be to the NFL, and yet it had this high of hype and interest.The racing was great too, which is very important. The trucks weren't all that fast on the dirt surface, which is to be expected considering how these vehicles aren't small Sprint cars. But that made for racing that was all about driver skill and talent more than track position and pit strategy, which is something else I think NASCAR really needs. Even Denny Hamlin, one of the stars of the top Cup Series, tweeted: "100 mph sliding or 200 mph stuck? Nuff said." He meant that to point out that you can have a great NASCAR race at 100 mph that's all about passing and racing, or you could have one at higher speeds like in the Cup Series where you can't really do all that much and can't pass that many other drivers as the race goes on. I agree 100% with him. NASCAR races should be all about drivers simply out driving the others. Austin Dillon, who won the race, started 19th in the race and raced his way up to the front to win. It wasn't because he got no tires during a pit stop or because a wreck; it was all him driving up to the front. Kyle Larson, the 2nd place finisher, started 13th and the same was true for him getting up front in the event.Stuff like this is what NASCAR needs if they want to be stronger and stop the sliding TV ratings and audience attendance. Take some races from the boring 1.5 mile tracks and put more on the dirt! Even with the Chase and other gimmicks, you think a NASCAR Cup race at Eldora wouldn't sell out immediately? I can guarantee you if there was a major announcement of a Cup race there one year from this day, on Thursday, it would sell out within 24 hours. It wasn't because there were only 20,000 seats that that race sold out: it was because there was excitement for it! NASCAR very much needs more of these types of events, that are not only thrilling because they are different, but because they are great events all about the drivers racing. I don't care what Tony Stewart says; good racing is NOT watching a car lead by 3 to 4 seconds with the entire field spread all over the place. It's when you have no clue who is going to win throughout the event. It's when the winner won because they simply out drove the others, not because a pit stop gave them the win. Enough of that garbage; let's see more of Eldora and other dirt tracks in NASCAR's future.

Posted on: 1 August 2013 | 6:02 pm

Lightning too sexual in Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII?

Too much? Or no big deal?Final Fantasy XIII-2 made a lot of major improvements over the first Final Fantasy XIII game. There was a much more involved battle system, there was more to explore, there were cutscenes that let you fight through them, and there were costumes to choose from! I love the costumes that you can get for the 3 main characters, whether it's the beachy bikini for Serah or the N7 armor for Noel, there is a lot to choose from. It seems that Lightning Returns will have a lot to offer like towns and Chocobo riding! But it'll have over 80 costumes as well, which I'm really thrilled about that! But there has been some discussion regarding some of the costume options, mostly on the image above.Some people think it's way over the top and that it shouldn't be an option, while others are all excited about it. I think it doesn't really fit what Lightning has been in the first two games, that it doesn't really fit the character. But I don't think it's the end of the world to have this costume available, especially if there are 79 others you can choose from. I personally think the Cloud Strife costume is the coolest, and I'd love to fight in this game with the famous Buster Sword! And I'm definitely excited to see what else the game offers in terms of uniforms, whether they be like Cloud or something different entirely. I'm almost positive that at least one or two of the other additional costumes will be like the above one posted. If people have an issue with it they can simply just not wear it. It'll be as if it's not in the game at all! And they can enjoy using the Buster Sword to kick butt with!This more your speed? Go for it then!It's just the times we live in that sees so many women in gaming dressed up like this. I'm not saying it's right, it's not, but it's how things seem to go. If you pay attention to games, like the Batman Arkham Series, all the women will either be barely covered or in skin tight clothing. And of course they all have the perfect bodies. The men, while muscular and whatnot, are usually totally covered. As a man I don't mind seeing dudes covered in games, but the women don't need to be half naked either. That's why the Cloud Strife costume is so cool, not including the Final Fantasy VII connections. Lightning will be totally covered if you want her to or be mostly naked if you want. It's really up to you, no matter your taste. It's sort of sad that Lightning is joining the group of female characters in terms of being sexualized a bit too much, but again keep in mind the main point: there are over 80 costumes. It's up to you what she looks like! Keep this in mind when deciding to go for the game or not!

Posted on: 18 July 2013 | 5:43 pm

PSone Trophy Support Ideas

There have been rumors that Sony was going to enable trophy support for their older PSOne games, which would be completely epic. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of original PSOne games that would benefit from such an idea! I'm not sure whether Sony made a major push for this or if it was simply something they patented or if it's something they plan on seriously implementing. But if they Let's see some of this!did implement the trophy support that would give new definition to replay value for gamers like me that have played PSOne games since the 90s! You could have a game that you've played hundreds of times and then all of a sudden, no matter how completely you beat it in the past, it offers something brand new. I'm thinking about a game or two that would really benefit from trophy support, and I'll give an idea or two as to which trophies I'd like to see one day.The first game would be Spyro the Dragon Ripto's Rage. This game is very nostalgic for me personally, probably the first major PSOne game that I spent time playing. It's what Sonic was to me for the Genesis, although Crash Bandicoot was also a major game for me with Playstation. I would love to see a trophy rewarded for beating the entire game without ever dying or losing Sparx the Dragonfly from being hit in battles. That wouldn't be impossible considering the game isn't the most difficult game out there, but I'd love to see this for a challenge for Spyro! Or how about seeing a trophy rewarded if you find all of the skill points in the game? That alone is great for replay value; I've still never found all of them! Those would really make the game worth another trip and would make things harder overall, which is always great when you want more to do.How about Final Fantasy VII? Let's say that one of the trophies would be earned if you beat the entire game, including all optional bosses, without dying even once? You can lose your party members, but MUST see this get trophies!at least 1 person must be standing in your party from start to finish. If your entire party dies, even just once, you lose the opportunity to go for that trophy on that slot and you can only get it if you start at the beginning again. Unfair? Maybe a bit. But you couldn't say the game wouldn't be much more challenging in that scenario! Maybe you get a trophy if you beat the main boss within 15 or 10 hours, something like that. It'll encourage you to run as quickly as possible in order to get the trophy. If 10 is too quick maybe lower it to 8. Make it a trophy that people will pull their hair out going for, as if the entire game with no total death wouldn't do that alone. I'd love to see those! I'd never beat them, but it would be enjoyable!How about any of the Crash Bandicoot games? There could be a trophy for beating the entire game without ever dying once. Maybe you have to start the game with 1 life and you can never gain more, under a special circumstance mode, and if you can beat the entire game with all optional side missions complete you get the trophy! That would be really hard, because everybody dies in Crash at least once or twice here and there. But here you can't do it, or you have to restart at the first level again. Making this a trophy on Crash 1 would be pure evil, but that's the point! Make it replay value that's not just something more, but something much more challenging! You could even give a trophy for getting all of the Gems, since those alone are tough to get at times. Why not? Who wouldn't love getting these trophies? Let's see how things plays out, no pun intended, in the future!

Posted on: 15 July 2013 | 8:47 pm

3 Digimon games I want outside of Japan in 2013!

There are a lot of great anime series around the world that have massive fan bases, and most of them aren't just cartoons that are found on your TV station. They are video games, card games, books, toys, clothing, and even food! Something like Pokemon may come to mind as a massive mega hit in the anime world that has a lot of different products that are out there. One of my favorite anime of all time is definitely Digimon. It may not have the massive following that Pokemon has, but it's a series that's both very popular and has a lot of fans. My favorite form of keeping up with Digimon would easily be the video games. I love the original Digimon World from PSOne and still play it to this very day! But there are other major Digimon games that have been released lately that I'd really like to see make their way outside of Japan, and that's what this article is all about. The first Digimon game would have to be Digimon World Re:Digitize, whether the PSP version or the 3DS one. I want this game simply because it's very similar in nature to the original Digimon World, and that is my favorite Digimon video game! This game has much better graphics, has a lot more Digimon, and just offers a lot more to do in general. What's not to love about that? Granted, you have to like the Digimon World from the PSOne to really appreciate this game, and if you didn't you won't care for this game all that much. But it still looks like a really great and fun Digimon video game, and I'd certainly enjoy seeing this game get localized.The second Digimon game is the Digimon Adventure game for PSP. It's a game that takes the first Digimon anime series, Digimon Adventure, and puts it in gameplay form! This game should have aPlease let this come here!!pretty high chance of being released in the US because this was a big cartoon in the 90s and early 00s here. Not that the new series of Digimon aren't still large here, but it all got its start with this anime. Surely this game, of the two for sure, has a great chance of being released here! Even if the game came with Japanese voices and English text, I'd not complain. That seems to happen more often than not on games from Japan that are ported to the Vita, so why not do the same thing with Digimon Adventure? It's something a lot of people would really enjoy, and surely there is enough money to be made to make it work!The third game isn't really a game at all. That's because it doesn't exist in any way, that I know of. It would be Digimon Rumble Arena 3. This doesn't technically count since it's not a video game, but this would be a game that would be really cool to see and play! There are a tons of fighting games out there right now, so it may be tough seeing a game of this nature being a massive hit, but that doesn't change that a more current gen version of Digimon in that fashion would be really enjoyable if done right! Who wouldn't want to take Agumon out there and smash all the other enemy Digimon down in HD? Maybe you can have a pet mode that allows you to play with your Digimon like the traditional pet games that got Digimon going in the first place, maybe as a mini game or something like that. We don't know if this game will ever truly happen, but hopefully it does and the other two as well. I'd love nothing more than to get my hands on these games soon!

Posted on: 13 July 2013 | 11:59 pm

Kingdom Hearts Chi and Final Fantasy Dimensions

I've talked about both Kingdom Hearts X, or Chi, and Final Fantasy Dimensions in the past. I'm a major fan of both series, so it would make sense that I would be interested in mentioning new games from both of them. But now I have some hands on time with both games, and I'm here to tell you guys how they both are! This isn't a massive review or anything, just the basics to let you know how things are with either game! Let's get started!This game is epic!Let's start with Kingdom Hearts. To start, the game is in an open beat phase right now, so it's not officially out. And you need a Japanese Yahoo account to play the beta in the first place (which isn't hard to set up). But once you get past those obstacles you'll realize this game is really great! I'm typically the guy who doesn't like the chibi art style that's used in the game, but it's not the terrible style that was Kingdom Hearts Mobile thankfully. It doesn't look bad at all in my opinion. The chibi I hate is the kind when the character has no real expressions and their eyes are just little dots, with them having tiny little arms and legs and the like. This game does have similarities to that style, but it's a much more manageable version of it. The game controls simply enough; you just click where you want your Keyblade Wielder to go and they go. If you want to fight you simply click on the heartless that finds itself  on the map and engage in a battle using cards, somewhat similar to Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories. You will choose the cards in advance and manage them so that you can be better before getting into fights, which is pretty cool! It has an extra depth of strategy and that's always welcome in a more action RPG type of game. This game is a pure 2D game, but it's not bad at all. It is a very nice and well developed game, something you wouldn't really expect for a simple PC browser game. And the music is absolutely spot on and is very crisp, it will instantly take you back to the Kingdom Hearts memories you grew up with. It's very enjoyable, and I encourage you to keep an eye out for this, even if it's Japan only.Speaking of surprised it was enjoyable, I'm very pleasantly surprised by Final Fantasy Dimensions. I'm surprised by it because I'm not typically a fan of the older Final Fantasy games that appeared on the SNES. That's exactly what this game is though. It has better and more crisp graphics, but it literally looks it came right from the Genesis or SNES. That's not a bad thing, especially considering I grew up playing the Sega Genesis and still enjoy those games down to this day. But I've never been in love with Final Fantasy games from that era. Final Fantasy IX was my first game of the series to play, so you can see the major difference between what this game is like and what I started off playing.But once I downloaded the game and got started I was hooked and fell in love with it. It makes the fact that Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII isn't coming to America this year that much more bearable. This, paired with Final Fantasy XIV, has me really pumped for all that Square Enix is giving out this year! I'm only about an hour in the game, so I don't have much of an opinion of what the story is and what ends up happening, but I'm definitely loving it so far very much. Again, this is a game worthy of your attention if you've not looked. Even if you don't like the 2D games of Final Fantasy. I didn't either until the other day. You may be similar!

Posted on: 11 July 2013 | 11:15 pm

5 reasons Jeff Gordon will always be one of the best drivers in NASCAR.

Jeff has more wins than all but 2!There has been a lot of talk that Jimmie Johnson, the first 5 in a row Champion in NASCAR (and likely only) is the best current driver in NASCAR and that he will end up being one of the best of all time. I'm not a fan of the 48 Lowe's car, but that is all true. Even if he quit right this second, he will still have the 2nd most Championships of all time, contrived or not, and he will still be in the top few on wins, among other stats. Most people seem to think that he's even above Jeff Gordon and is a better driver than he is. Granted, Gordon doesn't win nearly as often as he once did, while Jimmie is still on top of the NASCAR world. But Gordon's numbers over the years, added to what he has done in the last 2 or 3 years, has proven that he will always be one of the top of the sport, and possibly be above Jimmie in at least one or two categories. Let's take a look at 5 ways of dominance of NASCAR and see how Jeff stacks up against Jimmie.As a quick note: this article isn't here to prove that Jeff is the leader of Johnson or that Johnson hasn't accomplished anything in his career. I'm a Gordon fan first and foremost, but this is more or less to show people that Jeff still is a great driver and that his overall numbers aren't easily beaten. Jimmie is the golden driver as of the last 10 years, so it's fitting to compare Jeff's numbers to both Jimmies and the overall history of the sport. The first category of success in NASCAR, which shows Jeff's longevity, would have to be his Championships. Jeff Gordon, in a sport that has existed for over 60 years, has 4 Championships total. There are only 3 other men that have more than him in that span. Dale Earnhardt Sr and Richard Petty with 7, and Jimmie Johnson with 5. Johnson has earned his 5 Cups under the Chase for the Cup format, which is a playoff that NASCAR came up with. There is now a regular season and a playoff, like most major sports. His numbers don't count quite the same as those in the past. Jeff has earned 2 regular season Championships since 2004 (the first year of the Chase).The second way to prove that Jeff is always going to be major in the final run of all NASCAR drivers is his number of wins, at 87. There are only two drivers in the history of NASCAR that can claim to have more, Richard Petty at 200 and the Silver Fox with 105. Jimmie Johnson is doing quite well with 64 himself. Keep in mind that Jeff's win all come within the last 40 years, which is when NASCAR quit running several Cup races a week that had some events at at as little as 100 miles, sometimes with only half a field of drivers racing. Not to diminish what Richard Petty did, but he had a lot more races that he could run that counted as Cup races, whereas its always been a set between 28 to 36 races since 1972. Jeff has the most wins in the Modern Era, and that alone is a big deal. Even Dale Earnhardt Sr, at 76 wins, never won as much as Jeff has. Jimmie may catch him, he is only 23 wins behind. But he would have to win 23 to Jeff's 0 over the next several years to tie him, and win 24 more unanswered races to actually pass Jeff. It could happen, but I don't think it's likely.He has more poles than all but 2 also!The third thing is the amount of poles Jeff has. Being a pole sitter for a race isn't just the biggest thing, but it's still something that's rewarded! Jeff has a total of 72 poles, and yet again is the 3rd best all time with that number. It's not the largest thing to accomplish in long run of things, but you do get several rewards for doing so, including a trophy if you do so for the Daytona 500, which Jeff has done that more than once. Somebody has to be the fastest leading into the race, so it's still something worth aiming for, and nobody has more than Gordon in the Modern Era of NASCAR. That will likely never change; Jimmie doesn't get all that many pole awards.The fourth standard that Jeff will always measure strongly on is in leading laps. Besides getting the pole and winning the race, leading is the top way to show dominance in any one race. Jeff has lead 23,268 laps so far, and that number will easily make more progress in the next few years. Jeff may not win as much as he used to, but he usually finds a way to at least lead a lap or two across different events. There are a few drivers ahead of him on this list, but not many, as is the case with most of Jeff Gordon's accomplishments in NASCAR. I believe, at the very best, Jeff would hit maybe 24,000 laps lead, which would be fitting considering all have come as he has driven the 24 car. But most of the drivers out there today will never catch his laps lead. Jimmie Johnson has lead 14,863 laps. That's under 10,000 laps difference, but he won't likely catch Jeff, at least not for several years. The final way you know Jeff will always be one of the top in the history of the sport is based on his top 5 finishes. Jeff also leads this category in the Modern Era of NASCAR, and is the 3rd best overall in the history of the sport with 302, only behind Richard Petty's 555 and Bobby Allison's 336. Jeff will never catch Petty on this list, but he could catch Bobby after another few years of racing, which is really cool! Finishing top 5 in any one race is a much bigger deal than finishing top 10, simply because at worst only 4 other drivers beat you if you get a top 5 finish, and in this day and age of NASCAR that's a big deal. He doesn't do these things like in the past; as far as winning races and Championships all the time, he doesn't get a lot of poles a year, and he doesn't quite lead laps like he did in the past. But Jeff Gordon has done well in each of these categories in his entire career, in spite of not getting a full Championship since 2001. Jeff will always be one of the very best in the sport, whether you consider it all as a whole or just since the Modern Era when he showed up.

Posted on: 9 July 2013 | 3:39 pm

Rayman Origins PS Vita

Very good!I played a lot of the original Rayman way back in the days of the PSone, and I love this game still down to this day. I actually have a portable version of the game on my 3DS, and I still enjoy playing the game! It's challenging, but a lot of fun all at the same time. I decided to go for the second Rayman game on the PSone as well, seeing as how much I loved the first game. It too was a great decision, because that game, while very different, is still an absolute blast to play. It plays completely differently than the first game, but that's not a detriment in any way, and is still an incredible platform game. And then there is Rayman 3, which too is a different but still great fun video game!But what about in the last few years? The original Rayman series simply stopped moving forward, so things went in a new direction with the character with Rayman Origins. I wasn't all that sure what to think about the game at first. It looks beautiful, that much was obvious right off the bat. But it didn't seem to be all that similar to the older Rayman games, at least at first glance, so I never really had the interest in pursuing the game and what it offered. Not until recently that is. I got the game on the Vita, and I've not looked back. I have come to find that this game actually has a lot of references or a general feel to the original Rayman, and that is very exciting to me! It's still almost ridiculous at times with the graphics and expressions; I'll never 100% love the direction they took Rayman in. But the gameplay is very, very solid and the graphics are incredible. Those two points alone make this game worth the effort, even if none of the cutscenes are worth piddle.There are a few characters to choose from, though I never deviate away from Rayman himself. You have all the abilities that you'll be familiar with from the original game; you can punch the enemies, and charge it up if needed. You get the ability to use your hair to glide just like in the original series, which is cool, and you get to ride your mosquito friend from the original and do special levels with him! And there is a land that's all about music, which is instantly familiar to fans of the original game. That doesn't include collecting the lums and things of that nature either. This game truly feels like what it is; a reboot of the great platform game, Rayman! This game gets a 9/10 for the gameplay, which is very tight and responsive, and the graphics!

Posted on: 7 July 2013 | 11:17 pm

Sonic Dash ipod touch 4 review!

I finally got an iPod for the first time, thanks to my wife, and I'm definitely loving the device. There's a lot to like frankly; a great store that has a ton of games and music, books, and much more! I'm sure you know all that's available on a device like this one. I've been interested in apple for at least a while simply because there are a lot of games that aren't available on the android store until a much later date, or not available at all on android phones. One of those games is called Sonic Dash, which I've written about. I not only finally have the ability to play this game, but it's all free! You can buy in-game purchases, but you can avoid it all together and have a completely free experience with Sonic! Can't beat that! But how is the game?While I love Sonic Jump and think it's a great game, this game by far is the better of the two. This game definitely makes a lot more sense for the Blue Blur, which helps make it better. It's all about Sonic (or Tails, Knuckles, or Amy) running endlessly down a path that will eventually get the better of you. Sonic running towards something makes a lot of sense for the character, even if the game goes on forever and you never really reach Eggman or a Chaos Emerald. It works very well, and that is a great thing. Sonic Jump works well too, but it just makes more sense for Sonic to run forward endlessly as opposed to jumping all day long. And the game's graphics are much better here than they are in Sonic Jump; although that's not to say Jump looks bad.It's probably the most solid Sonic portable game that's outside the button controlled adventures. This game is one that I'll play and play and that's always good when playing any game. I'm a major Sonic fan; I'm almost always going to find a way to play new adventures featuring the Hedgehog. But that doesn't change that this game is earning time because it's actually a very solid Sonic game! The reviews seem to give this game the credit it deserves all the way around, which is rare for Sonic lately. The only real issue that most reviewers seemed to not like is that Sega pushes a lot of in-app purchases, but you don't have to take those if you don't want to. It's as simple as that. You can really play the game and get everything that you'd need, even if it takes a long time. I'd definitely rate the game a solid 4.5/5. It's not quite perfect, but it's some of the most fun I've had with Sonic in a long time. And I enjoy almost all the Sonic games.

Posted on: 4 July 2013 | 10:05 pm

Gran Turismo 5!

I just bought Gran Turismo 5 for the PS3, even though it came out back in 2010. While I'm definitely late to the party I'm definitely loving this game! I've been playing the Forza series on the Xbox 360 the last few years, and that game is definitely still up there on my favorite racing games list, but GT5 has to be at least a bit better to me so far. One of the things that GT5 has much higher over any of the Forza games is definitely the NASCAR section lead by Jeff Gordon. Jeff Gordon is my favorite NASCAR + GT = EpicNASCAR driver and NASCAR my favorite sport, so to see it officially integrated in a major way in the game is great to me!Forza does have NASCAR stock cars, but those are the much older stock cars they ran back in 2006. The ones in GT5 are outdated with the 2013 Gen 6 cars coming out, but they aren't even officially a year out of date. And the cars are actually based on current drivers like Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson. In Forza the cars are NASCAR race cars, but they only have some decals in common nothing like the entire package that GT5 offers. But NASCAR isn't the only reason GT5 is a great game! There are all sorts of different cars and classes you can race in, from go karts to the most expensive and fast cars available out there! Plus you can race both as yourself and have a driver do special races where you basically coach him around the various races and earn money that way.You'll sometimes get caught up going for different licenses and other things, so to have your own driver get you some money while you're doing other things is pretty fun. You can't name your driver, but you can dress him up at least. I just so happened to make my T. Adams wear Jeff Gordon's Drive to End Hunger firesuit, which is really cool to me! There are also a lot of different options you can engage in when it comes to online gameplay as well, though I've yet to give them a shot. But seeing all of these different options makes this game really great and it offers much more than Forza does, though that game is still incredible. If you've not gotten GT5 like me you need to do so! It's cheap and it's great!

Posted on: 3 July 2013 | 6:50 pm

Sega Vision personal review

Great device by SEGA!I finally have the latest Sega device they created for home use, the Sega Vision! It came out back in 2009, and was primarily only for release in Europe in some of Sega's prize redemption games. There were rumors that Sega was going to make the effort to sell some of the units online with a particular site or company, but I've yet to see that happen by 2013. So I decided to look at ebay and see if one was there, and I just to happened to find one! I couldn't believe it because I had been looking for a long time, so to see one for sale and being able to buy one was really exciting! But how does the device perform?I'll tell you this to start: if you have a fairly good smartphone there is no real reason to need the Vision, unless you're just a major Sega fan like myself. I didn't need the Vision for anything it brought to the table just based on the fact that I have several devices that get the job done very well. If you put that aside, however, the Vision is quite the great device! It does everything from recording videos and voices to listening to the radio and watching TV. It's not all that large, so you'd have no problem at all putting it into your pocket or purse and having room for other things, which is a good thing. The quality of the device and the images and what it does is surprisingly potent. It's not going to go toe to toe with your iPhone, that much is very obvious, but you won't be let down with the Sega quality here!The only real downside to the device is that it doesn't play games at all. Even playing small flash games would be cool because you could game with newish Sega hardware, and that would be awesome. But that doesn't change that this device does a very nice job with what it does and for the price. If you grew up playing Sega and that's what got you into gaming, like myself, this is a device worthy of going for. It does do a good job for what it is and it's something that's actually BY Sega and not Atgames or some other garbage like that! Go for it if you see the opportunity!

Posted on: 30 June 2013 | 5:47 pm

Android Conosles taking over?

Unless you've been living under a rock, you know that the next gen consoles from Sony and Microsoft are coming at the end of 2013. They will join the Wii U in the fight for the 8th gen home console dominance, and I think it'll be quite the enjoyable battle to watch. That doesn't include Nintendo's 3DS and Sony's PS Vita, which are battling it out for  handheld console dominance. But things aren't quite as cut and dry as they once were. In the 90s you either had a Sega or a Nintendo. There were other consoles, but they didn't catch on at all, so you either had one of those two or nothing. Then it was the same thing but with Sony in the mix in the later 90s and early 00s. Now not only are there great consoles from Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft, but there are great and powerful PCs you can use to game, and smartphones/tablets.Android coming now?It's certainly not the same as it once was when it comes to getting your gaming fix. But PCs don't consider themselves home consoles, same for the phones and tablets. Yes they play games that are visually impressive and are enjoyable, but they still aren't home consoles. But even that is about to change from the norm. Did you hear about the Android powered OUYA console that actually came out the other day? It's a console that allows you to mod it and make your own games and play a major variety of games, all for $99! That's an incredible price, even though the console really only plays smartphone games. If you're into gaming for making your own console and whatnot this console is definitely a great way to go, and it's much cheaper than the main consoles it'll be fighting, being the Wii U, PS4, and Xbox One. And that's not the only Android powered consoles making the rounds. It seems that Google is going to be coming up with their own Android console, presumably around the $100 price tag as well. If these consoles offer what you want, not just the potential Google one but others as well, then it's a major win for you. You aren't even having to hand out a Ben Franklin to get the console and make your way with enjoying it. You'll almost never find a major home console by Nintendo or Sony that has that price, at least not for several years after the console initially launches. The OUYA for sure is starting at that price, and that's at the beginning of the 8th gen of consoles. Nothing will match its price, so it's worth a look at least. I'm not sure if these Android consoles are going to be the next big thing at all, but they are out and trying to do what they can. Let's see what the OUYA sells and then we will know what we are looking at for sure!

Posted on: 29 June 2013 | 4:33 pm

5 Reasons to want Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix

Have you heard about the upcoming Kingdom Hearts HD collection, Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix? No doubt you have or you wouldn't have found this page for this article! It is a game that'll finally bring the great Kingdom Hearts series to the 7th gen consoles, exclusively on the PS3. It'll have all the great things that we are used to on the PS3, namely trophies to collect and gorgeous Who's ready!?graphics. What's not to like about that? Well, you may still be on the fence about why you should get a game that you've already played over the years. I'll give you 5 reasons, for the KH 1 part alone, that this game is worth your attention. Let's begin!The first reason is that this is the first version of Kingdom Hearts to be released outside Japan that has the Diamond Dust and One-Winged Angel Keyblades! The Kingdom Hearts 1 part of the 1.5 Remix s the Final Mix version of the game, which has all sorts of new features that the game didn't have originally. It was only released in Japan, so this is all brand new to those of us not living in the Land of the Rising Sun. Two new Keyblades isn't the biggest thing in the world, but it's still something cool! Plus you get one for beating Sephiroth; that alone makes this feature cool!The second thing we have to look forward to is new cutscenes, and even a new boss fight! The cutscenes don't seem to be anything too major, other than filling in more of the story and whatnot, but that is really cool and will make certain parts a brand new experience, no matter how many times you've played the game before! Plus there is a cutscene featuring Cloud and Sephiroth, so that gives Final Fantasy VII fans a bit of a special moment to look forward to. And the bonus boss fight, which turns out to be Xemnas, looks really challenging so it'll be fun to stand toe to toe with him. I beat all the bosses and bonus bosses in the original Kingdom Hearts, so it'll be cool to see what this new battle will have to offer. The third offering with this game would definitely have to be the Gummi Ship missions. I don't know all of the details about them, but the fact that there are actual missions is enough frankly. In the original Kingdom Hearts you went from point A to point B, and that was that. It was good enough, but it got incredibly boring after a while. Building your own was fun, but that was that. Knowing that there are missions to keep you busy between the worlds is really cool! It'll take traveling in KH to a level that is more like that of KH2, and that is a very good thing.The fourth thing that we have to be excited about with this game is new abilities! There are several abilities that were introduced in Kingdom Hearts Final Mix, so we will finally be getting our turn at this aspect of Kingdom Hearts. I've seen some of the abilities in various videos, and there is a lot to look forward to. It is more like the abilities we are used to with Birth By Sleep and Dream Drop Distance, and those games have much better abilities than what's typical in the first Kingdom Hearts. Granted, it's not nearly as exciting as flying around in Dream Drop Distance, but it's still a major cut above what was originally available for us.The fifth thing is the fact that there are new heartless to face! Some of these heartless showed up in Kingdom Hearts 2, but none of these guys were around the time you and I played the game, so again it is that little bit extra that we have that we never did before, and new enemies to bash are always enjoyable! What better way to use the new Keyblades and abilities (and accessories) than on new enemies? And don't forget a 5.2 point: there are trophies this time around, rewarding you for all the major efforts you put in the game. It's all new content for us to enjoy that we have never had in any Kingdom Hearts before! Even the original Final Mix didn't have HD graphics or Trophies, so we get all sorts of new content, especially those of us outside of Japan! Definitely something to be excited about!

Posted on: 27 June 2013 | 10:38 pm

NASCAR Road Course Series?

NASCAR auto racing is the king of the country here in the US. Whereas Formula 1 is the king of the rest of the world, NASCAR has no really strong rival here. The only motorsport that can claim a major victory over NASCAR it the IndyCar series, mostly because their Indy 500 gets more people than any one NASCAR event ever will. IndyCar actually dominates the entire world on that account, More of this please!not just NASCAR and auto racing. But what does F1 have that NASCAR doesn't, besides a massive worldwide following? They have a lot of road courses. In fact they only have road courses, with no circle tracks to be found anywhere at all. Could NASCAR benefit by having racing on tracks that most people watch around the world?Granted, the NASCAR race cars aren't specifically designed to race the road courses. They basically just make the cars work on the road courses instead of designing the cars to excel on these tracks. But the racing on road courses are very enjoyable in NASCAR, and I always look forward to seeing the road course events show up in NASCAR. I think NASCAR having a series all about road course racing would be really cool and worth watching. There are a TON of road course tracks to chose from here in the States, and many more around the world. What wouldn't be fun about seeing a NASCAR World Road Course Series? That would be something awesome! Maybe most fans in the States wouldn't care about it, but most of the people on earth are outside of this country, so why not give them something to care for in connection with NASCAR?There is the Euro Car Race Car Series, which is now a NASCAR series that races on road courses in Europe, which is pretty cool. But I'd like to see a NASCAR road series that takes place all over the world! Even if they started doing that with the Euro Car Series that would be cool, and it would offer the NASCAR feel with the F1 type of racing. What's not to love about that? There are rumors that the Cup Series may go to Europe and do a race or two there, but I doubt they would be on road tracks. They seem to be geared up at getting folks over the pond to enjoy what NASCAR is here and now. I want more than that. Let's see what the future holds!

Posted on: 24 June 2013 | 3:33 pm

My top 5 games coming in 2013!

Now that the E3 convention has passed and we are almost over halfway through 2013, I think this is a great time to talk about the top gaming hardware and software I'm looking forward to for the end of the year. All the details about such hardware and software may not have concrete details as to a release date, but they are all coming out in 2013 at some point, that much has been confirmed. So let's get the list started and see what's worth being excited about in the gaming world in 2013!Game of the Year 2013?I'm going in order from what's the most exciting to the least, but all 5 of these are worthy of being excited for. The number one has to be the next gen consoles that are coming out around November this year (at least in the US), and the number one for me is the Playstation 4. There are going to be people pumped for the Xbox One, I'm not counted among those, but the PS4 is something to be very excited about! It's the first major home console by Sony since 2006, and this one isn't priced at $599 like the PS3. Even though it's way more advanced and powerful, the price is $399! Can't beat that can you? Plus you can use the Vita to play PS4 games over the Wifi, and that's something to be really excited about. The next game that has got my attention is the Sonic Lost World game, both the Wii U and 3DS version. Sonic the Hedgehog is the game character and series that got me into gaming in the first place, so to see such a great game that looks awesome coming out this year is something to be really happy about. It gives you the ability to make your own path when playing the game, with some sections giving you the option to chose any one of four directions to go to progress through the level. Typically with Sonic games there is higher, a middle, and a lower path through various sections, so to see a much higher choice of where to go is really thrilling to me. One of my favorite things to do in Sonic games is play and see all the various paths, so knowing it's impossible to play the level any 10 times and see all the paths is really great!Looks AWESOME!Batman Arkham Origins is the next game that I'm wanting, a great bullet for the Game of the Year honors. It's a Batman Arkham game; that alone tells why it's going to be something to be excited about. It takes place in Gotham, a first for the series, and stars the Bat in his early days of fighting crime. Black Mask has put out a massive bounty on the Bat and that makes Batman's night one to remember, all for the wrong reasons. I'm really thrilled to give both this game a shot and Arkham Origins Blackgate for the Vita (it's also on 3DS). It takes the great Batman Arkham series and takes it portable, which is something to very much look forward to. It'll be the first handheld console entry in the series, and I'm excited about that very much!The next major game would have to be Final Fantasy XIV. I got a free beta invite from Square Enix, and it has been more than worth the time I've put into it. I've never played a Final Fantasy game online before, but I am very much a fan after experiencing this game on the PS3. I have made my own character and have a great time playing as her and working on the various missions that the game offers. What's cool is that the world itself is massive and there are a LOT of side missions you can engage in, so you can basically not even care about the main story if you don't want to. Or your can work on a story mission and then do a side mission in between the rest. A great game and very much worth your looking into!The last major game for 2013 that I'm thrilled about is definitely Kingdom Hearts 1.5. It's the first Kingdom Hearts game for the PS3, and it's in glorious HD. Who doesn't want that? It's something to keep your eye on, especially considering how Kingdom Hearts 3 was finally announced earlier this month. To see the series again on the PS3 in new definition will be great for building momentum into Kingdom Hearts 3. The game has Kingdom Hearts, Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories, and Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, although the latter has only cutscenes. These are my top 5 for 2013, how about you?

Posted on: 23 June 2013 | 11:04 pm

NASCAR Weekend all about Road Courses!

I may be starting to fall in love with the IndyCar series, for good reason mind you, but that doesn't change the fact that NASCAR is my top sport of all time! I'm really excited about this NASCAR weekend because it's all about road course racing. All the folks who claim NASCAR drivers only turn in infinite circles are put to shame every time these guys go race on tracks like these, and I think NASCAR frankly needs more of these. They take a lot more talent to win on and do well than the other tracks in NASCAR, although they aren't cakewalks either. It's all about turning left and right, up and down hill, with all the variables that the tracks offer. The different road courses in NASCAR are completely different from each other too, so it's not like seeing the same thing every road event.I think even a street course would be cool in NASCAR, but I'll get out of dream world because that'll likely never happen. It's all about being the best over a much longer track than anything else NASCAR has. It's not a 2 mile track or more like Daytona, but Daytona is a simple shape. The road course tracks have a crazy design and shape, thus proving to be more of a challenge to the drivers. I love the appeal of that and think NASCAR needs a lot more road course races. The NASCAR Nationwide Series is racing at a road course this weekend too, one different than the Cup series, and I think that's more needed as well. Not just because they are at a road course, but because the teams are at different tracks. There needs to be more of the events where NASCAR Cup and Nationwide are apart so the best of both leagues have a chance to stand out more. Let's go road racing folks!

Posted on: 21 June 2013 | 4:44 pm

Xbox One reversal!

Finally looking more appealing!Well well, news indeed! Remember when Microsoft was making all the world's dumbest decision in regards to their Xbox One, such as always needing internet every day even to play single player video games and not being able to lend your discs to friends to play? They, likely realizing the money they would lose, decided to reverse all of those decisions! You'll still need the internet to get the console going initially, so in that sense the people with no internet STILL aren't going to be able to use the console. But everything else is completely done away with. You can share discs with whoever you want to, and there is no region lock between any one country and the other.You'll still have to keep the Kinect plugged in constantly, so if that was one of your no way thoughts that goes nowhere. But for the most part Microsoft definitely made things much better for themselves and their next gen console, and that's great for the gamers! I'm still going purely for the PS4 simply because of the exclusives and how it'll connect to my PS Vita, which is going to be great, but Xbox One just became that much more appealing in the eyes of many I'm sure. That doesn't change that damage was done though. So there will be people who don't care and still won't get the Xbox One. And remember: you still have to use the internet on the console when you initially use it. So the over 30 million Xbox 360 owners that have NEVER used their consoles online may still be in trouble, and that's more than a few people you're telling they still can't use it. But things are looking up finally for the Xbox One!

Posted on: 20 June 2013 | 2:18 pm

3 reasons why LittleBigPlanet rocks!

Recognize this?I've very much been an on and off again LittleBigPlanet game player. It's a fun platform game that offers a lot for gamers to enjoy, but I've never really been able to stick with it for any more than a few gaming sessions. I'm not sure why that's been the case, but that's been going on for a good while since knowing about the series. But I again decided I'd see what the game is worth, especially since I got Little Big Planet Karting for free on the PS3 because of having PS Plus! I'm enjoying myself much more this time than I ever did before with LittleBigPlanet, and there are 3 main reasons why this is the case.The first reason is that this game is very fun to play! I've not stayed in love with the game in the past, but I've always though it was a well put together video game. New comers that have never played a Sony Playstation video game before can easily get the hang of things and jump right into the game, and that's important. But the game can be intricate as well for more experienced gamers, so it offers something for everybody across the gaming world. There is a reason this series has sold so many copies, and this is definitely one of them.The second major reason I love this game series is because of the things you can create! I've seen some of my favorite video games of the past remade in LittleBigPlanet, and I love that! If you love basically any major game you can search the various creations and see it in a new and unique way! You can make worlds yourself and can make them very simple or very complex, depending on what you want and the effort you want to put into it. Get any of the LittleBigPlanet games and look at the awesome creations! You'll see for yourself why this game is great.Sweet!The third reason is that you can make the Sackboy anybody you want. Want to play as Sonic the Hedgehog? Do it then! You can make your own creations to wear, or you can simply buy and download what's already been released. I'm currently playing the game as Sonic and Cloud Strife, complete with a Buster Sword! It's really cool to play a game that's already great on its own as one of your favorite video game characters from the past. Plus playing as the Final Fantasy VII group may help you hold off on the new upcoming Final Fantasy VII games that aren't out yet! It's not much, but it's that little extra that adds to the game! What are you waiting for!? Go get LittleBigPlanet today!

Posted on: 18 June 2013 | 6:55 pm

Final Fantasy XIV Beta

I never really was all that interested in the Final Fantasy online games until the last year or so. I had an interest in playing Final Fantasy XI, mostly on the Xbox 360 or the PC, but never made the move. I didn't like that you had to pay for the game month after month after the initial purchase, so the interest only stayed an interest. But I saw the opportunity on the Playstation Network to get a shot at a free beta for the Final Fantasy XIV PS3 game and took it! Square Enix picked me to give the game a shot, and I was happy to do so for them. And let me tell you, I am now definitely making a move to get this game when it comes on the PS3.It's not a picture perfect video game, but it's certainly very enjoyable. It probably helps that Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII isn't coming this year, so I have that empty Final Fantasy space to fill up. Final Fantasy 14 is the best game to fill that place for sure, and it helps a lot that the game is actually quite fun to play! You start off by making your own character, with tons of options you can customize, and then get started in the main world and hub. I'm not too familiar with all the names just yet since I'm fresh in the world, but it's a lot of fun to play this game. You can choose to engage in as many or as few missions as you want, and I think that's a great thing. You'll have a lot to do and you can even play with other people, what's not to love about that?Square Enix has had a lot of problems lately, either by making terrible games or not finishing the good games that they have shown. It's a problem that Final Fantasy Versus XIII, now Final Fantasy XV, was announced and shown back in 2006 and it won't be out until 2014 at the absolutely earliest. 2015 is the most likely early year. It looks like this new version of this video game will be something that a lot of fans can use to rebuild faith in Square Enix. It certainly has me excited, and it's not a game that I'd normally think about in the least! If you have even a remote interest in either Final Fantasy or MMORPG's you'll love this game. Get it on either PS3 or PC when it comes out this August!

Posted on: 16 June 2013 | 11:15 pm

Batman Arkham Origins E3 coverage

It's no secret that the Batman Arkham games are some of the best games of all time, and definitely the best video game series based on a hero. Only a person in denial would say otherwise. So to see the 3rd and 4th Arkham games striking this year is really exciting! *technically the 4th and 5th game, if you include Arkham Lockdown* They both take place before the original Batman Arkham Asylum game, so they are aptly named Batman Arkham Origins. I'm excited for both Arkham games, especially the Vita/3DS Arkham Origins Blackgate, as it'll be the first major handheld version of the game series. I love gaming on the go, so that's something that makes me happy.The game, mostly the Origins for the main consoles, was featured at the E3 convention this last week, and what I saw was incredible. I knew the game took place in Gotham *finally!*, that it took place before the original Arkham game, and that Blackmask has put the hit out for the Bat. But to see the game in action is worth so much more than what we all originally knew about the game. It looks absolutely incredible, so much worth the wait for sure. How about you look at this long gameplay video and see what you think for yourself!As you can see, this game looks very enjoyable and polished. There needs not be any worry that Rocksteady isn't developing this game. It looks like it'll easily be in the running for game of the year, so that's a great thing! There are more things I want to know about this game like: what will the multiplayer be like? Is it a co-op experience? What is Origins Blackgate like? How does it play? Is Robin or Batgirl here, with Catwoman?  How about the rumor that the Justice League members would show up in the next Arkham game? That's an old rumor, but I want to know if there is any truth to it. We'll see in the future, but for now check the gameplay out and get excited for it! October's only a few months off, so be ready!

Posted on: 15 June 2013 | 6:23 pm

Man of Steel

The film of the year (at least I think it will be) comes out officially tomorrow, the Man of Steel. I bought Walmart tickets so I'm going with a small group to see it tonight at 7pm, and I'm thrilled! When major films come out there are usually video games that follow them, and the Man of Steel is no different. There is indeed a game that will come out on iOS and Android, and it looks like it'll be a decent Superman game. Granted it's a Superman video game, so there's an automatic chance it'll be a major fail, but that doesn't change the fact that it's out and it has good potential it seems!Looks awesome!I did see the film last night, and it was INCREDIBLE. The film is very enjoyable, and I absolutely cannot wait to see more from this Man of Steel universe. Can that include in the video game world? I don't see why not. From what I've read, on the Android version, the game itself is actually enjoyable, but it has a lot of bugs that keep it from opening at times or finishing the game. That's always a bad thing, but it's not because of the game itself being a bad game. It seems to play the story of the film, which rocks, and you can do a mode where you take out enemy after enemy. It all sounds pretty good, and I'm going to buy it myself and see what it's all about! I hope the game doesn't glitch itself shut, maybe it'll be fixed by the time I get the game.It's very rare when a game based on a major film is actually any good. I honestly wish they did with Superman what was done with Batman and the Arkham games, that way there is a massive quality Superman game out there. But he is a great character in the Injustice video game and he is in Lego Batman 2, so it's not like Superman hasn't had good representation in video games lately. Iron Man 3, a crap film, had a game that's actually pretty enjoyable! It's not perfect at all, but it's a great game, so I have hopes that the much better Man of Steel has a better game to go with it. I'll mention in another article later whether the game is good or not, but it's only 5 bucks at the max so why not give it a look? If it works and loads it seems to be a good purchase, so go check it out!

Posted on: 14 June 2013 | 11:53 am

Nintendo E3 2013 announcements!

Nintendo had their day in the sun with the E3 convention today, and there is a lot of great things to be excited about on both the 3DS and the Wii U! I'll keep this one a bit more simple as well and post videos of what you can see and enjoy for yourself! The first thing that needs to be mentioned is that the new 3D Mario game for Wii U, while cool looking, is not a sequel to Super Mario Galaxy and it's not a major 3D Mario game. That is a major let down, really not happy about that. But other than that all the major Nintendo news today was great! Like with Donkey Kong, for an example.Donkey Kong Country Returns came to the Wii a few years ago, and it's an incredible piece of hardware. It recently came to the 3DS and it's just as good, and in fact better, than it ever was. Well if you're wanting more DK you'll be happy to know that there is a new HD Donkey Kong in the works for the Wii U! Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze is going to be making its way to the Wii U this November, and I can't be more thrilled for that! I'm certainly not alone in thinking the DK series is incredible, and to get more time with the Kong group more than makes up for the sad Mario 3D showing for the Wii U!Looks pretty incredible doesn't it? Yes it does, and I can't wait to give this game a shot later this year! That's not to forget Mario Kart coming to the Wii U, and the massive Super Smash Bros coming to both 3DS and Wii U next year as well! Nintendo really had a lot to show, including more on the awesome looking Sonic Lost World, and I'm really happy to have both a 3DS and a Wii U at this time. If you were looking for a good reason to get the console now is the time to go for it! You'll already like what's there and you'll LOVE what's coming in the near future!

Posted on: 11 June 2013 | 11:49 pm

Kingdom Hearts III announced for PS4!!!!

Kingdom Hearts III has FINALLY been announced for the PS4, and I cannot be more thrilled! It was during this year's E3, which I knew was going to be massive! This is incredible news, so much so that I'm going to just put the unveiling trailer for it here. It needs no more words than what I've typed till this point. Here you go:

Posted on: 10 June 2013 | 11:24 pm

E3, Final Fantasy, Nintendo and more!

This is an exciting week for gamers! This is the week of the E3 convention, the ultimate gamers event with new consoles to see and play, new games to enjoy, and all sorts of extra great things! There is a lot to look forward to this year with the E3 convention, I think more than normal. With the Xbox One and Playstation 4 both showing up this will alone make this years E3 worth seeing and investing in. So what are some of the best things about this week and what will be covered? Let's take a look!The first thing that must be said is that the Xbox One has been dated and priced, and the console will Woo it's E3 time!be coming out this November worldwide, I believe, for a price of $499. I personally believe that's a bit too much for a console, even if it's brand new and very powerful. I know that other people are in agreements with me, in that it's a bit too expensive. I think Sony needs their Playstation 4 to be announced at at the very highest $399. That hundred bucks can make a major difference to a lot of gamers, and Sony can definitely take up the slack where Micro$oft is failing lately with their Xbox One. But there will be a new Halo on the console in 2014, so that alone will move several units of the One. The week just barely started and all this information flew out the window! Not too bad!But there is more! Nintendo's Wii U hasn't had a great time moving consoles, anybody that remotely cares about gaming knows this. But this is the E3 that I think will turn the struggles around. If Mario Kart and a new Smash Bros can't help the Wii U, and possibly a brand new HD Zelda, then nothing will. Where Halo is massive for Microsoft, Mario, Link, Samus, Donkey Kong, Kirby and now Sonic are massive for Nintendo. Games will move consoles, and Nintendo has a LOT to show this year. Will it be enough to get people back in their stable? Time will tell, but they are definitely in better water than the Xbox One with fans, so they need to really capitalize on that. I'm personally really thrilled to see what Sonic Lost World will be like, in more detail than what has already been shown. Nintendo has a lot up their sleeve, so let's enjoy it all!And last, but certainly not least, is the Final Fantasy E3 conference. What will be shown? Are we going to see a lot of Lightning Returns Final Fantasy XIII? Will we finally see a release date for Final Fantasy Versus XIII? What about the secret PS4 Final Fantasy project? We know that we will be seeing most of these games, but in what way is the major question. I'm hoping we see a lot of great information and we don't have to wait very long, which is a great thing. E3 time is always great for gamers, especially this year since so much is on the line for all the game companies and the console makers. There will be a LOT of information over the next few days, so I'll pick a major point or two to post about!

Posted on: 10 June 2013 | 7:42 pm

Indycar Texas vs NASCAR Texas

I've realized that I'm starting to be a big fan of the IZOD IndyCar series, and why not? It's a great sport that's fun to watch, and it's completely different from my typical favorite sport, NASCAR. That in itself makes it worth looking at, because it's the total opposite to what I've watched for years, so it's definitely worth a look to a guy like me. It's almost like you eating vanilla ice cream for years and then trying chocolate ice cream for the first time and loving it. It doesn't mean you suddenly hate your favorite ice cream, but it's nice to change things up here and there! So how was the ice cream at Texas Motor Speedway?Starting to really love this series!There was a double header weekend at TMS with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the IZOD IndyCar Series. So the question naturally becomes what race was the best? I'd have to say overall the Truck series race was the best, but what happened during the IndyCar race shows better for the series than what happened in the Truck series. The main point that made the Truck race the best, throwing all else out of the equation, is that the race came down to the last lap. You knew Jeb Burton had a great chance of winning that race, but Ty Dillon was running him down and you wasn't positive who had it till the very last lap. The IndyCar race was pretty well known way before the last lap. You knew Hélio Castroneves pretty much had the race won with several laps to go. But that's not as bad as it may seem, at least to me. I've heard that he and Dario Franchiti win a lot of races, but that's not been the case at all this season until Texas yesterday.That's something that gives a good vote to the IndyCar series to me. I've now consistently watched 4 IndyCar races, all of the last 4 races run, and there have been 4 different winners. Even though Helio made the race his own later and had it pretty much locked in at the end he wasn't the dominator all day. In NASCAR, like the snoozer in Pocono, you usually see the same driver dominate all day long. It gets really old really fast. Only a small handful of drivers were dominators in the IndyCar race, so it's not like 10 different guys and gals were leading the majority of the laps, but it was at least 3 different drivers as the event went. And in the last few weeks this was the 4th different winner I've seen, and that means a lot to me. Plus the race comes down to whoever is the best, not who had the best phantom debris caution restart like in the WWE Cup Series. ANY sporting event where there is a caution flag when it's not needed is by default not being run in a fair way, who knows how much differently a race would have been if not for those fake cautions in NASCAR? They were both great races, as the Truck series is typically the best in NASCAR and IndyCar was great as well!

Posted on: 9 June 2013 | 7:21 pm