Weekend Confirmed 115 - E3 2012 predictions, Ghost Recon: Future Soldier, Dragon's Dogma

Man. What the fuck is up with the Microsoft defense force? All they need is Halo? REALLY? A ten year old first person shooter franchise is ALL you need for a successful proprietary video game platform? Its not fair to compare their lack of commitment to original content with Sony's wealth commitment towards original content, because duhh they're not investing in making any original content? And I really, can. not. comprehend. for. one. second, the apparent need of people to tow the line on Kinect. Its like we're witnessing a competition for "best florist" say. And one florist is making a really nice rose garden. And the other one only has a few daisies. And one person saying, "well they only have daises because they're using all their fertilizer to grow those cactuses!" And its like, UH I don't want a fucking cactus. The whole point of this thing is the FLOWERS. Can someone please pop this seemingly impenetrable bubble of bullshit surrounding Microsoft commentary? Anyone at all?

My big concern for Sony is that rumors have surfaced regarding a deal with Gaikai to provide a service for streaming PS1 and PS2 titles, which in some respect would kind of negate the supposed value of "transfaring." Isn't it a hugely more clumsy idea to have developers code 2 versions of a game, when you could potentially have gamers pay for a service to stream PS3 games they buy to a Vita? And that said, doesn't it suggest that original Vita games perhaps be related to console counterparts, but have totally original content. A sort of Chocobo trainer, or a gun modder or something for your fps.

Also I'm going to say something unpopular about Diablo 3: It is boring and repetitive. I like playing games single player, and maybe that's coloring my view. But at some points the environments become a little to "gamey" and simplified in an absurd kind of way. The pattern of killing looting, and selling your loot is too fast, and constant in a way that is disruptive.

And basically the story telling is actually horrible, and incredibly full of cliches and bland characters. Young girl can't control mysterious power. Premonitions that explain plot objectives. Cartoonish bad guys that create red herrings and then kid nap your friends. The CGI is stunning to look at, but its poorly utilized, compared to say Warcraft 3. The lore is cheesy and full of infamous labeled fantasy gobbledygook.

And I think worst of all for me, the story isn't at all about these character classes that you choose from. Leah is a terrible character and she is the center of the plot. There's apparently nothing to distinguish the Monk campaign from the Demon Hunter campaign outside of their being different combat classes. Its not like Warcraft 3 where the Warden and the Demon Hunter are classes that also relate to actual characters from different parts of a fictional world. To me a great Blizzard game is able to draw a distinction between single player and multiplayer, and exploit the strengths of each---and I don't get that from Diablo 3. It is addicting, but its also kind of tedious and simplistic.