Let's Talk Microtransactions.... Again

I know I've talked about this topic before... but it just keeps coming up.  Recently, there's been some discussion involving a couple of games and their microtransactions.  The games afflicted are Wolfenstein: Young Blood and Crash Team Racing Nitro Fueled. I'd like to talk about the two articles I just linked.  Let's talk about Young Blood first.

The central point of Kotaku's article is that Wolfenstein: Young Blood's microtransactions are so unobtrusive that it's not worth getting upset over and harass the developers of the game.  About the harassment, I agree.  Most times, developers have no say regarding microtransactions that get put in their game.  That's usually a publisher decision, and if the publisher says they go in, you put them in, unless you don't want a paycheck.  So, to hear developers being harassed online to the point that they have to lock down their social media accounts is frustrating. 

Yet, so is microtransaction apologism.  It may sound confusing to those who have no passive interest in them as to why people get upset about microtransactions existing in games, especially in full priced games.  "Don't like it, don't buy it."  That seems harmless enough, but microtransactions, like it or not, DO affect the way some games are designed.  In the case of Wolfenstein: Young Blood, the microtransactions do not enhance the way the game is played, as they're only there for cosmetic purposes, but other games, such as Dead Space 3 have been designed from the ground up to entice players to buy microtransactions to speed up resource collecting. We've already seen what happened with Battlefront II, how it took SO LONG to unlock any characters... because they wanted you to pay for them. When people complained about it, EA "fixed it" by lowering the cost of the currency, but doubling the time it took to collect it. 

"It's just cosmetic" is an excuse that needs to die out.  "It's just cosmetic" is an enabling phrase that dismisses the fact that what you used to be able to earn in game by just playing it is now removed from your ability to collect it unless you pay for it.  Many games, such as Street Fighter, are shipped with content ON THE DISC THAT YOU PAID FOR, but you can't access it unless you pay more money.  Games also have more content available online day one that they've purposefully withheld from you so that you've no choice but to pay for it a la carte if you really want it. 

Then there's the whole "but games cost so much more to make! If they don't put MTs in our games, they'll cost more" argument that Jim Sterling has shot down multiple times.  Seriously, go to his You Tube channel, hold a hand over your eyes and scroll down his page and blindly select a video.  You'll most likely hit on one that talks about the bloat of the AAA industry.  Games do cost a lot of money to make, yes, but executives are the ones that reap the rewards from microtransactions.  You are most likely lining the pockets of executive than you are the developers when you buy into these microtransactions.  How many CEOs do we hear get multi-million dollar bonuses, and how many stories do we hear about underpaid and overworked developers during crunch time?  There is a great financial disparity in the AAA industry, and it's not how much money it takes to make a game versus how much it earns...

Back to what I was saying with microtransactions affecting how a game's designed, just read a blurb from the Crash article I linked.

Crash Team Racing Nitro-Fueled is a racing game with a lot to do in it, including unlocking customization options for various cosmetic items like skins, items, and even characters. Since release, the game has kind of doled these coins out somewhat thriftily to players who might be looking to unlock everything or are trying to go for something in specific. It turns out there might be a reason why: Wumpa coins will soon act as a virtual currency that can be purchased with real money.

If that is actually the case, that's inexcusable.  Sure, a patient gamer will never spend a cent on microtransactions, but why should someone's grind be increased because the publisher wants to cater to impatient gamers?  If people don't have the time to play games, then honestly, the hobby is not for them.  That also isn't to say that I believe in "gamers should work for their achievements", because I don't believe that games should feel like work.  Games should be fun first and foremost.  Honestly, all games have a grind to them, but I just feel that no grind should be increased artificially just because a CEO needs a bigger yacht.

What makes the CTR situation that much more disheartening is that Nitro-Fueled released without them.  Activision waited until it sold well and then put them in with a patch.  This is straight out of EA's playbook.  "Our game won't launch with microtransactions."  *waits a month*  "Now that you all bought it, here are some microtransactions!"  To make matters EVEN worse, it's a remake of a beloved game!  Fond memories now sullied by microtransactions!  Is nothing sacred anymore?

But back to Kotaku.  They said Young Blood's microtransactions aren't worth getting upset over.  I disagree.  The very concept of microtransactions is worth being upset over.  They've wormed their way into every aspect of gaming. Some games aren't affected by them while others' entire framework is warped in order to encompass them. Classic franchises we knew and loved get resurrected as shallow and pitiful mobile versions of their former selves (I'm looking at you, Lemmings). Grinds become inflated. Content becomes locked. Games that were about skill are now about who has the deepest wallet.  Microtransactions have only become the problem they are now because of dismissive attitudes such as Kotaku's. It's time that microtransactions become a thing of the past, and it's time for everyone to get behind that.

Dr. Mario World Is Infected With Mobile Game Tripe

When I first heard that Dr. Mario World was coming to mobile phones, I was actually pretty excited for it.  I heard that it was also going to have an overworld, so I was thinking that Dr. Mario was going to travel from spot to spot battling viruses in the old Dr. Mario-style gameplay that I know and love.  But what did I get?  This:

And this:

First, the overworld.  It's nothing like I thought it was.  I thought it would have been something like an overworld from, say, Mario 3D World, where you could actually see your character traveling from place to place.  There would be bits of interaction that you'd have to do, like traveling in pipes or crossing bridges or something.  All this is is a generic road map that takes you from one stage to the next.  

The gameplay is also completely different, too.  It's recognizable only as Dr. Mario because of the pills and viruses, but gone is the Tetris-style piece falling gameplay.  Instead, it's a Match 3 style game, one of the most generic kinds of mobile games out there.  You also drag and drop your pieces and instead of falling down, they float up for some reason.  I don't know why that bugs me so much, but it does.  Hmm.. probably because your typical mobile user is used to those Bubble Pop style games. 

Gameplay is simple.  Match at least three block spaces with viruses and pills, then columns and rows will disappear.  Bricks next to cleared viruses will be destroyed opening up more of the play field.  There's also new elements they've introduced, such as shells that will bounce back and forth clearing out the row if triggered by a virus removal. Dr. Mario World has different characters that you can play as well, and each one will have a skill meter that will build up as you play and when full, you can clear out rows and columns at random depending on who you're using. So far, I've yet to actually be in a situation where I can use it, as I clear the stages well before the skill meter is full. 

It's not the gameplay that bothers me much.  I'd actually be fine with it if it were some completely different game.  It's the fact that the game I used to love has been reworked to appeal to mobile gamers that play those Match 3 style games.  That's NOT what Dr. Mario is!  Also, because it's now a Match 3 game, this means that every stage has arbitrary three star rankings, which I'm guessing there will be progress gates later on, and of course, the microtransaction power ups.  So far, I'm very early on and haven't had a need to use power ups, but just seeing the options before each stage to use them is irritating.  What's more is that most of them can only be used by spending diamonds, which I'm guessing can only be obtained with real money.  Why is it ALWAYS diamonds?!  Can we please keep that shit out of Nintendo games?

I'm not surprised that Dr. Mario World turned out the way it did.  Fire Emblem Heroes was rife with microtransactions.  Animal Crossing Pocket Camp had them, but never felt that you actually needed to buy them.  Same with Miitomo.  Super Mario Run was the only Nintendo mobile game that felt like an actual game due to the fact that it had a one-off price.  I was actually hoping that Dr. Mario World would have followed that model, but its puzzle nature unfortunately made it a perfect conduit to push more microtransactions.  There are going to be those Candy Crush gamers that can't wait to buy up a ton of power ups they don't even need just because they're there, and because of this stupid business model, they've ruined what could have been a really fun Dr. Mario game.  If only there was a pill for that kind of sickness.  

Switch Lite: Two-thirds the Cost, A Third of the Personality

Well, it finally happened.  For months, maybe even more than a year, there were rumors of a Switch "Pro" and a Switch "Mini" in the works, and although there's no official announcement for the "Pro", Nintendo has today announced the "Mini" as Switch Lite.

It's a smaller version of the Switch with a smaller screen of 5.5 inches as opposed to 6.2.  The controllers are permanently attached, feature no IR scanning or rumble, and also is unable to hook up to a TV, even if it's just via a cable and not a dock.  Since it's missing all these features, you'd expect it to be cheaper, right?  It is.  It'll be released on September 20th for an appealing 200 dollars.

There are lots of people who haven't jumped on the Switch bandwagon because of the 300 dollar price of entry.  For them, the Switch has no appeal as a console as it's considerably weaker than the Xbox One and PS4, so those people have clearly viewed Switch primarily as a handheld, and 300 dollars a bit much for a handheld.  200 dollars will definitely attract a lot of people, but at the same time, there's nothing Switch about the Switch Lite anymore.

The name Switch meant that the hybrid console could "switch" from being a console to a handheld, but that's no longer the case with the Lite.  Another one of Switch's biggest selling points was the Joy-Cons: removable controllers you could pass to people who didn't have their own Switches, and they could play with you wherever you are.  The Lite doesn't have the social aspect anymore.  The Lite won't even FEEL like the Switch, because it lacks the luxurious HD Rumble.  So what are you really getting for the 200 dollars?

Sure, you saved a hundred bucks, but in my opinion, the cost saving is not worth losing all the functions that the Switch has.  Just being able to take a game you play on the go and hooking it up the TV is worth the extra 100.  I guarantee Smash players dock their systems when they have friends over.  Considering you can't even pass off controllers to people with the Lite, I don't see anyone buying a Lite that will actually buy Smash.  It'll be perfect for indies, single-player games and RPGs, but again, everything would be better played on the larger Switch thanks to its opportunities.  Also, if you managed to scrounge up 200 bucks, you probably could wait a little longer and save up an extra 100 dollars by the time September 20th came along.  You'd be MUCH better off getting a full-featured Switch.

This is just the 2DS all over again. I mean, look at it.

Aside from it being ridiculously ugly, you can also see how the 3DS was not only stripped of its functionality, but also its personality. No longer a 3DS, the 2DS was missing not just the 3D ability, but also the very convenient clamshell design.  As an effort to make the 2DS a cheaper handheld, they also managed to compromise its portability due to it being harder to fit in a kid's pocket.  Granted, portability hasn't been compromised by the Lite's redesign, in fact improved, it still is suffering from its personality being stripped away.  It's also a rebranding issue, another line that Nintendo has to manage. 3DS. New 3DS. 2DS. New 2DS. All the XLs.  Wii. Wii U. Switch, and now Switch Lite. Let's just be honest... grandparents are going to be confused as fuck.

But saving a hundred dollars on the Switch means they could probably use that money to buy a couple more games.  So, the Switch Lite will end up selling Nintendo more games and more Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions.  From a business standpoint, it makes perfect sense.  Yet, another problem exists.  As the Lite will serve strictly has a handheld Switch, this all but cements the end of the 3DS's lifespan with no room for a successor.  The 3D function has been killed off by the 2DS line, and those were around 200 dollars.  Why on Earth would Nintendo make another handheld follow up for around that amount when the Lite already serves that?  Hell, the Switch itself served as the unofficial successor to the 3DS.  It was only a matter of time before Nintendo and its fans finally came to grips with it.  The 3DS/2DS is dead.  The Switch is it, both in the household and in the hands.

I'm not going to tell people that they shouldn't buy a Lite, but I will STRONGLY suggest that those who want a Lite save up a little more and get a full-blown Switch.  There are some games that benefit so much more being played on the TV, Smash and Mario Kart just being two off the top of my head, and people shouldn't limit themselves with possibilities just because they want to save a hundred facts.  But, if you know for certain that you'll be happy playing Switch games only on the go, with a smaller screen, with controllers that don't rumble which you can't share (by the way, did you know that rumbling controllers help you with finding Korok seeds in Zelda? Just something to think about...), then cool. Save yourself a hundred bucks... I guess.

People Are Buying Inferior Versions of Games Just to Play on the Go... And That's OK.

So apparently, the Switch version of the highly anticipated Kickstarter funded game Bloodstained: Ritual of the Night has quite a bit of problems.  Such problems include reduced fidelity, frame rate issues, and input lag.  These issues were severe enough that GameSpot gave it a 6, two points lower than the Xbox One and PS4 versions.  Yet, that didn't stop the Switch version from outselling them both, at least in the UK.  Switch owners really don't seem to care too much about their games being downgraded or broken.  They just want to play them on the go.

And why wouldn't they?  With my over two years of owning the Switch, I've wanted to play all the games on Switch.  I'd take it to work and being able to play Doom and Skyrim on my breaks was awesome.  At the same, though, I can't keep that up.  Wolfenstein II was the last game I played on the Switch that made feel sacrificing graphics for portability wasn't really worth it anymore.  More power to people who don't care as much, but the gimmick is starting to wear off for me.  Hearing of a game like Bloodstained performing so poorly on the Switch is quite disappointing.  Is it really worth it to play such a bad version of the game just so you can take it with you?

It doesn't really seem like that big of a deal, because the developers did say they were going to fix it in patches.  But that's a problematic way of handling games.  No game should ever be released broken with need of patches.  There are people, believe it or not, that still don't have access to the internet.  So, the games they buy are broken forever.  I've heard people complaining about reviewers docking the game for issues that will be fixed later, but that's also problematic.  No game should be forgiven for current issues that will be fixed later.  Games should be reviewed as is, unless they're always online games that are constantly changing. In doing so, we're promoting an attitude of acceptance that it's OK for publishers to rush their games out with the promise that "we'll fix it later."  Look at Batman: Arkham Knight.  Did that game ever get fixed?

But back to the title.  Even though I was talking about how buying an inferior version of Bloodstained was not worth it, that was just for me.  For someone else, it may be worth its weight in gold.  They may sacrifice visual fidelity and frame rates for portability, because maybe they play on the road more than they do at home.  If you're solely a Switch owner, then of course it makes sense to buy a Switch version of a multi-platform game, because well, default.  Never played the Witcher 3, but don't have time to play at home because of obligations?  Take it with you to work and play on your breaks and lunches.

I've heard the argument that sacrificing performance for portability is not worth it because games should be experienced in their best versions possible, but that is entirely a subjective opinion.  If people have more fun playing on the go, then even the Switch version of Bloodstained becomes the best version possible because it's the only one that's portable.  And there's that one meme I love that I can't seem to find, but it's the one that shows the graphical comparisons of the Xbox One, PS4 and Switch versions of The Witcher 3 during a power outage and the Switch was the clear winner!  Classic!

I know I touched on this topic before, but it's been a while.  The current debacle with the Switch version of Bloodstained just made me want to revisit.  I totally get people not wanting to buy inferior versions on the Switch, but they're also clearly forgetting what it was designed for.  It was never meant to play games in 4K at 60 FPS. It wasn't even meant to play 1080p versions of games.  It was meant to play versions of games on the go, which naturally meant they'd be weaker, that you could conveniently play on your TV when you were at home (a lot of these arguments stem from how Nintendo tried to market the Switch as a console first, handheld second. Disagree? Fight me).  People are finding value in that portability, and it just so happens that value for them is higher than playing on a 4K TV.  I shouldn't have to remind anyone that people have different values, and if you were upset at Switch games being downgraded, then why did you want a Switch for the best versions of games?  Didn't you buy a PS4 or Xbox One X for that purpose, or better yet a PC?  Well, let's just hope you never have a craving to play that game while away on business, or better yet during a power outage.

Nintendo E3 2019 Thoughts

I was pretty sure they were going to start their Direct by announcing their newest DLC character for Super Smash Bros. Ultimate.  I was right, but I was taken completely by surprise with who it was.  It's the Hero from Dragon Quest XI.  Everyone I've talked to speculating who would be the new character never brought up DQXI.  How did no one see this coming?!  Anyway, it doesn't look like it's just him, though.  There were at least three other characters as well.  How will that work in the game, I'm not sure.  Will they be alternate versions of his character, or assist trophies or what?

Then there was another DQXI trailer. I think it seemed to be a different one from the SE conference. I got to be honest, I'm a bit tempted by it.  I thought revisiting previous games in 8-bit fashion was a cool feature. 

Yoshiaki Koizumi was on screen to introduce Bowser, who came on next wearing a tie, ready for business.  But, there was a bit of confusion, and Koizumi meant to say it was Doug Bowser.  The villain Bowser got really confused and walked off.  I thought that was a humorous way to introduce Doug Bowser to his first Nintendo Direct. I like him better than Reggie already. 

Next up is one of the games I've been waiting a long time for: Luigi's Mansion 3!  This time, it takes place in a luxury hotel. It looks like the lovable ghost dog will be back. Luigi's Poltergust will have new features, such as a Slam that will knock one ghost into others, Suction, which will pull doors off the wall and such, and Blast for when you get ganged up on. Luigi will also get a copy ability that will make clone of Luigi made out of goop called Gooigi.  Cute.  Control will be then be passed over to it and will allow him to cross through gates and spikes but will be vulnerable to water.  It will also provide some co-op opportunities.  There's something called the Scare Scraper, which I don't remember what it was.  There's some cool bosses as well. It releases sometime this year.

A new Dark Crystal game was shown, which took me by surprise.  I'm currently getting back into the Dark Crystal universe.  I've read the comics and am looking forward to the Netflix series.  The game looks like it's a tactical RPG.  I'm so on this! Age of Resistance Tactics is what it's called. 

A new trailer for Link's Awakening was shown, and it looks to be turning out great.  Still not really sold on Link's design.  It's just too cutesy. but I'm still going to get it. There also looks to be a dungeon creator where you can build your own dungeons and explore them for rewards.  It will be coming September 20th.

A trailer for a new Square Enix game played. The game's called Trials of Mana, which appears to be a remake.  It's an action RPG and it looks pretty cool.  I wonder if it's related to Secret of Mana.  Speaking of which, a compilation was announced right after called Collection of Mana, which includes all three Mana games, including my favorite Secret of Mana and the third Mana game that was never released in English.  I might have to get this.

There were rumors about the next announcement for months  The next trailer finally confirms Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition.  I got to admit, I am tempted.  Seems that the Witcher will benefit from portability just as much as Skyrim did, but do I really want to play a downgraded Witcher, though... I'll wait for the benchmarks.

A new Fire Emblem Three Houses trailer played showing off beautiful animated cutscenes. I'm so far behind on Fire Emblem games, though, so it's low on my priority list.  It releases July 26th.

The next video shows a couple teens walking into a spooky house. They pull out their Switch and begin playing the first Resident Evil game, which looks like the Remake. Afterward, they announce that RE 5 and RE 6 will be coming to the Switch.  Thanks for tainting the Switch, Crapcom!

The next trailer showed a guy with a beard dressed in a robe getting out of his house due to a disturbance.  I got a strange No More Heroes vibe from this trailer and suddenly, a suit of armor came over him Iron Man style and he took to the skies to attack a floating pyramid.  He slashed away at enemies in the sky and yelled "GET SOME!" and that's when I saw his laser sword.  IT IS!  IT'S NO MORE HEROES III! 

Next was a trailer for a new Contra game called Rogue Corps. I'm not sure about this one.  It doesn't look like the rest of the Contra games, almost cartoonish in nature. Afterward, a Contra Collection was announced. 

A new Daemon X Machina trailer was shown, but I played a demo for it last year and I'm not excited about it at all.  They have a lot of work to do if they expect it to be a quality game.  It releases Sept. 13th

And what the flying fuck?!  A PANZER DRAGOON REMAKE IS COMING!!!!! Level of hype through the roof!  I own the original on the Saturn but I don't think I ever finished it.  This remake looks gorgeous!  I can't wait to play it!

Shinya Takahashi took the screen to talk about Pokemon.  I'm not really into Pokemon so I just kinda zoned out. 

A new trailer was shown for Astral Chain and the game's shaping up very nicely. It releases August 30th.  I'm hoping it turns out well, because I'm thinking of making this my game for August.

The next trailer showed a cinematic of what looks like a messed up casino having its chaos unfolded in reverse.  It begins to show gameplay of an isometric shooter that looks like it could be cops vs gangsters.  Maybe set in the prohibition era?  It's called Empire of Sin and it will release in Spring 2020.

A new trailer for Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order was shown, but for some reason, it's not making me excited.  It just looks generic.  Maybe it's because I'm not impressed by the moves' special effects.  Seriously, they look bad.  Anyway, it will release on July 19th.  I never played 2, so I'll probably never get to the third.

A trailer was shown for Cadence of Hyrule, which is this quirky little Zelda game where you fight to the beat of the music.  It looks fun, honestly.  It releases June 13th.

The next video unveiled a new Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games.  There will be plenty of new sports for them to play in.  I saw some rock climbing in there, but is rock climbing even an Olympic sport?  Anyway, it will most likely release during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

AND HERE IT IS! ANIMAL CROSSING! Just like SE's conference last night where the chat kept spamming Avengers, this chat was spamming Animal Crossing.  Anyway, we learn what the theme of the game will be.  You fly to a deserted island via plane where you immediately set up your tent.  You'll use Tom Nook's workbench to craft items.  Will this take the place of Nook's store?  Not sure.  You can also set up campfires when you want to relax.  One new feature I thought was amazing was being able to pole vault across a river.  Man, I can't tell you the amount of time I wasted running around rivers to cross the bridges. I'm going to absolutely enjoy this!  You'll also be able to clear paths via the grass, which will be very welcome. Then, very bad news.  The release date was pushed back to March 20th 2020.  Koizumi even apologized for the delay, promising that they'll make it the best Animal Crossing they can. 

I feel like someone held that wonderful meatball sandwich under my nose again, but instead of putting it down my shorts, they threw it over the neighbor's fence.  Fuck... I mean... FUCKING NINTENDO!  I usually don't get upset at delays, but this one hurts.  I had plans to play it THIS YEAR.  I bought my mom a Switch and bought a family plan with the intent of putting people on it to play AC with them THIS YEAR.  Had I known it was going to slip to 2020, I would have just waited.  I know the reason for the delay... but it doesn't make it sting any less.

There was a montage of games being shown, but honestly, I was in too much of a fugue about the AC release date, and I just didn't care to pay attention. I don't remember a single game shown during that montage. 

Another Smash trailer was shown, and I caught a glimpse of a golden puzzle piece bounce across the screen.  Some Smash characters in a cabin rushed to the window to see what was going on, and there was a silhouette of what looked to be Banjo-Kazooie, but it turned out to just be the Duck Hunt dog with a duck.  Great troll.  But then, Banjo-Kazooie actually dropped down from the sky and landed on them!  Haha, great!  So we got a second DLC character reveal, Banjo-Kazooie!  Could this lead up to an actual Banjo 3?  Here's hoping.

Koizumi bid adieu, but not before showing off one last teaser.  It showed Link and Zelda with torches walking down a very dark path.  I'm guessed at first that this would be a new Zelda DLC, but as it turns out, it will be a sequel to Breath of the Wild.  It also showed what looked to be a zombie corpse of a king.  Not just any cutesy zombie you'd see in a Zelda game, but a really terrifying zombie with glowing eyes.  Plus, the music that played was very chilling.  I'm getting goosebumps thinking about it.  Wow...

To say Nintendo won the show this year is to say a sober person won a dancing competition while everyone else was drunk.  MS was passed out at the punch table.  EA was throwing up in the bushes, while Bethesda fell over them at the same time having his pants pulled down by SE, who somehow managed to stay on their feet all because of one game.  Nintendo just walked into the dance hall and claimed their trophy, but they did so in such a gleaming fashion that they knew they'd win it even if their competitors showed up on the floor. 

Nintendo has had one of their best showings in my recent memory.  There was a lot of excitement to be had this time.  It started and ended off with reveals of new Smash characters.  We got to see new footage of Luigi's Mansion 3 and Link's Awakening.  We got a few surprise announcements with the Dark Crystal game, a Panzer Dragoon remake and of course, NO MORE HEROES 3!  That NMH 3 reveal was the height of the show in my opinion, even surpassing my hype for Animal Crossing: New Horizons.  Speaking of Animal Crossing, I loved all the new stuff that I saw, but even though I understood the reason for the delay, that slippage into 2020 took a good portion of my enjoyment out of the show.  An entire letter grade just for that.  I'd have rather them never gave me a release date this year and instead just kept it at TBA 2020.  I wouldn't have been so disappointed.  Also, the fact that they showed us a little bit of what the follow up to Breath of the Wild would look like was a great way to end their show.  I mean, that dark aesthetic though...

FUCK!  I was so impressed with this showing, I forgot that they STILL didn't show a new F-Zero!  I should flunk them for that... Naw, I'm not THAT bitter...

Overall grade: B

SE E3 2019 Thoughts

It should come as no surprise that Square-Enix would lead off their show with Final Fantasy VII Remake.  After all, they did finally confirm the release date for 3/3/20. The rendering of cutscenes sure is beautiful, just like their FF movies. Yoshinori Kitase took the stage to talk about the game, but he needed an English translator.  He had a lot to talk about, but waiting for him to finish and then have it translated became boring. The first game will be so massive from the looks of it that it will be stored on two Blu-Rays. It still sounds episodic, even though the first part "will be its own game in its own right".  I'm worried that the project may possibly never be finished.  Hopefully, they're much further along with the following chapters so we don't have to wait so long as we did for the first part. 

Neal Pabon walked on stage to talk us through the gameplay.  The main combat style is hack and slash, but there's a tactical mode that slows things down to a crawl where you can choose different actions without pressure. Cloud and Barret were shown, each having completely different abilities and play styles, and can be swapped to and fro with a press of a button.  It also looks like they're bringing back staggering from FFXIII. The demo footage ended with a boss fight that looked really cool.  There was all sorts of action all over the place, but my concern is that some boss fights might be a little too grandiose and may overstay their welcome.

Tetsuya Namura, director of the game, came out to talk more about it.  Again, all the talk in Japanese and having to wait for it to be translated was boring me.  It will be playable today at their booth, so lucky dogs for those there. A new trailer was shown and Tifa was revealed. The crowd went completely ape shit, and we also got to see her in action. Sephiroth was shown as well, and more people went ape shit.  The game will release on 3/3/20, but I'll believe it when I see it.

After more than 20 minutes in, a trailer is finally shown for a new game.  This turns out to be Life is Strange 2.  For some reason, SE thought it was necessary to show clips of streamers reacting to the ongoings of the game.  It was just distracting.  Anyway, it looks cool, but I've yet to play the first.  Doubt I'll ever get to it. 

A new trailer played revealing Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered for PS4, Switch and Mobile.  I passed on this game for the GameCube, and nothing about this remaster sparks a desire to try it again on other platforms.  But cool for people who do, and it could be a perfect fit for Switch as well.

Then there was a trailer for Octopath Traveler comin to Steam.  Anyone who doesn't have a Switch but loves JRPGs will be in for such a treat.

The next trailer announced The Last Remnant Remastered on Switch. I don't think I known anything about the original game, but hey, any new JRPG for the Switch is good news.

There was a video showing Dragon Quest Builders 2. It showed a lot, bigger worlds, lots to build and harvest. There's also combat as well.  I never was into Minecraft-style games, but I heard that the first was actually really good and the second looks to be just as good.  July 12th will be the release date with a demo on June 27th.

Then there was a trailer for Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age S: Definite Edition.  Holy shit, what a long name. What caught my eye is that it looks like you can swap to 8-bit style at any time during the game.  That's neat!

The next trailer was a montage of games. Some developers were talking about a new driving game coming next year. It'll be a top down racer.  It reminded me of the Micro Machines games from a long time ago, and I know they showed the title, but I can't recall it.  I'll most likely pass on it.

A video of a game called Battalion 1944 was shown.  I don't know why this was E3 worthy,  It looked just like the hundreds of generic war shooters that I see kids at my library playing.  Hard pass.

There was a video advertising Square Enix Music, which is apparently a service that allows you to listen to all of the Final Fantasy soundtracks, and it will available on all streaming services.

Next up was a trailer for Kingdom Hearts III: ReMind, which is the game's next DLC.  It kinda looked like a Dragonball fighting game from what I saw... 

Naoki Yoshida to come out to talk about Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers, but I'm taking a blackout on this, so left to get dinner. When I came back, it was still going and I caught the end of the cinematic, and it looks fantastic.  July 2nd will be the release date, but I already have it preordered, so I'll be able to access it about a week earlier.  I'm looking forward to it, but not really looking forward to trying to catch up from when I last took a break.

A new video from Techland was playing, so this was unmistakably Dying Light 2.  It focused on parkouring and it just looks so much fun!  Just like the first, this is Mirror's Edge, but with zombies!  This is a definite must buy for me, even though I'm not really into zombie games at the current moment.

A video played announcing that two games were getting remastered.  One was Romancing Saga 3, and the other was Saga Scarlet Grace Ambitions.  Not really a fan of the Saga games.  The last one I remember playing, I don't remember which one, wasn't really that good.

Apparently, every fucking company has to talk about a mobile game now in their conference.  SE decided to show a video for War of the Visions, a new game in the Final Fantasy Brave Exvious universe.  Pass.

A new trailer from developer People Can Fly showed cinematics from their new game Outriders.  That studio was responsible for Gears of War and more importantly, Bulletstorm, so this game has my attention. Sebastian Wojciechowski came out to talk about the game, but unfortunately didn't SHOW anything from the game.  Instead, a video played showing developers talking about their game.  Would much rather see the game itself than all this talk.  Anyway, next year.

A new trailer for Tokyo RPG Factory's Oninaki was shown, and I got to say, it looks a lot more promising than I Am Setsuna and Lost Sphear.  I'm going to keep my eye on this one.  Some of the moves during combat look really sweet.

Well, it looks like someone finally found the master for Final Fantasy VIII, because there was a trailer for it.  Now, I'm of the unpopular opinion that FFVIII was the better game between it and FFVII, so it's nice to see that it will join the other FF remakes. 

Just as we all knew Square-Enix would open with Final Fantasy VII, it was a certainty that they'd end with the Marvel's Avengers game.  The trailer showed the usual suspects of Thor, Captain America, Iron Man, Black Widow and the Hulk enjoying a celebration called A Day.  During the same time, an attack on the Golden Gate Bridge occurred so they jumped into action.  I was having a hard time differentiating gameplay from cinematic, but it could all be cinematic.  There's just something about the graphics that's bothering me. 

Anyway, a couple people come out to talk about the game, and then a video played featuring the voice actors, one of which was Nolan North as Tony Stark. Then another video of a cutscene played followed by more Crystal Dynamics people coming out to talk about it. I've roughly followed the Youtube chat since this show started, and I could just feel their frustration through the screen.  Even during FFVII's showing, they were screaming for Avengers.  They finally got it, but instead of being shown gameplay, they were just met with more and more talk. Ohh god.. they just announced it as an ongoing game that will last for years.  It will be a four-player online co-op game.  What does that sound like to you?!  A game that rhymes with BANTHEM?  Wait, did they just say all upcoming content was free? Was that right?  If so, that's already a step in the right direction.  I just hope the game stays on course.  One last video plays showing Ant-Man shrinking a giant boss.  That was pretty cool. The game's release date will be May 15th 2020.

I already told someone that if SE lead with a sizable demonstration of the FFVII Remake, they would win E3 so far, and that's exactly what happened.  Although there was a little too much talk for my taste, it was really nice to see just what the combat was going to be like. Now, I know there are opponents to this game because of the myriad number of changes, but all I've been getting from this game has been good vibes.  It's going to be extremely fun!  Nice to know that a company that makes RPGs is still making a lot of RPGs, and it's also very comforting to know that someone finally found the FFVIII master.  The mention of another mobile lost them a point or two, and although they ended big with Avengers, they stumbled by not showing any gameplay, even though they have the game playable at their booth right now.  Still.. they won E3 so far... That speaks volumes of just how... underwhelming this year's E3 has been.

Overall grade: B-

Ubisoft E3 2019 Thoughts

Of course, their show began with an Assassin's Creed trailer.  I was expecting it to be a reveal of the next AC game, but then I noticed it looked like a montage of their past games. It was accompanied by a live orchestra, and it turned out to be a build up for a "Worldwide Tour" of the AC Symphony.  Who cares. Ubisoft, did you not learn from Sony last year? Opening a show with live music only bores people.

A couple people from Ubisoft came out to get the crowd cheering, but all they got me doing was rolling my eyes.  Come on, we got to get the show moving.

The first trailer began playing and almost instantly, I knew it was going to be Watch Dogs Legion.  It's going to be a set in London this time and what do you know, they're actually showing gameplay for it! THIS is how you start the show, with a gameplay demo!  So, it started off with a main character named Ian who was talking to his AI Bagley. Ian appeared to be scanning NPCs for some reason, possibly looking for a recruit.  He found one that specialized in drone tech but almost immediately, the guy gets confronted by a cop. Ian engaged the cop, but then was immediately being attacked by a drone.  It shot him critically and an option arose.  He could surrender or fight, so he chose to fight and cloaked himself before running off.  He got in a taxi and fled, but then crashed and had to run on foot. He eventually got killed, and that's when the game's twist was revealed.  Instead of retrying the misison, the player then pulled up a list of other characters. Now an old woman was chosen, and she turned her purse into a spider drone to infiltrate a compound while she started taking down guards with a tazer. A new character was now chosen, Namoi, who proceeded to take down guards in combat. She climbed a giant drone riding it around to find the recruit they were looking for, where the demo end with the recruit now playable. 

Clint Hocking came out on stage to talk more about it.  It sounds like a very ambitious project because every NPC you see you can play as, and it will affect every aspect of the story.  He ended his time with another trailer. It looks fun, but I'm really skeptical about that ambition.  Every single NPC can't possibly be very interesting, so there's got to be a lot of filler NPCs because no way can anyone write that much dialogue for a whole city of inhabitants, but we'll see.  The game releases March 6th, 2020.

Rob McElhenney from It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia came out next to announce a TV show he's making with a few other people from It's Always Sunny.  It's called Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet. It's about people who are making an MMORPG and they're just about to release their first expansion.  I kinda got a little The Guild vibe from it, so I'm hoping it will be good. However, I think I just heard it's for Apple TV+?  That's a major deal breaker.  A trailer played and it looks kinda funny. 

Some eSports caster came on the screen to talk about what's new in eSports. Who cares. Some Rainbow Six game  was shown in the montage and revealed to have Battle Royale, because of course.

Next was a trailer for an Adventure Time game, but it turned out to be an expansion for a game called Brawlhalla, which looked like a cheap Super Smash Bros. knock off.  Whoop dee doo.

The next trailer that played showed a rendered Jon Berthnal giving a rally to his troops. He kept mentioning ghosts, so this must be the new Ghost Recon.  It was, subtitled Breakpoint. Jon then took the stage with a dog named Bam Bam.  I'm guessing he'll be in the game? His speech actually ended up being a bit cringey, however. Another video followed, but showed no gameplay.  Someone came out on stage to talk about the community, someone else came on after to talk more, and then announced the release date of October 4th with a beta on September 5th.  Sounds like a games-as-a service game as they said it will be live for years, so that's a hard pass from me.  Oh, and a teaser played to announce a Terminator: Dark Fate tie in.  Really? First it was Gears 5 and now the new Ghost Recon. I wonder if they'll tie Dark Fate in with the new Just Dance.  That would be funny as hell!

Next up was a trailer for a mobile came called Tom Clancy's Elite Squad.  Trash is trash.  We've all be en waiting for a new Splinter Cell for years, but at least we can get Sam Fisher in a mobile game...

Another video played that showed a guy giving a pep talk in a locker room.  They were all wearing dance outfits, so clearly this is the new Just Dance 2020.  After the video, the whole squad came out on stage and began dancing.  At least they didn't lead the show off with them this time.  And no, it looks like there won't be a Terminator: Dark Fate tie in.  Small victories. 

The next video that played showed a Japanese village and began to tell a tale bout a samurai who became the "Spirit of Death".  I started to get interested until I got a suspicion that it might have something to do with For Honor.  I was hoping I was wrong, but I wasn't and as it turns out, it's an expansion for For Honor called Shadows of Hitokiri Pass, so I will pass.

A trailer began playing showing a guy breathing heavily, aiming a gun at something with something creeping up his arm. His heartbeat monitor was on the rise. A squad found him and rescued him. Turns out it was Rainbow Six Quarantine. I don't really follow the series, so I didn't bother to pay attention as the developer came out to talk more about the game.

The next trailer looked like it was more Division 2 stuff, which it was. I don't care for the Division games at all, so I went back to playing my game, but I did hear someone say a Division movie is coming to Netflix. Will it have Battle Royale?  Most likely.

Brenda Panagrossi ,Vice President of Global Management came out to announce a new gaming service called Uplay+. 14.99 a month will get you access to over 200 Ubisoft games that will also be playable via Google Stadia.  Yay....

A new video played showing a woman dressed up in roller derby gear with what looks like her little brother being inspired by her.  The game is called Roller Champions.  Stephane Drapeau came out to talk about it, but I immediately lost interest when I heard it was going to be team-based PvP.  Pass.

Yves Guillemot came out to close out the show, but before it ended, He brought out Marc-Alexis Cote to show off a new game. Usually when one last trailer is shown after someone thanks everyone for coming out, it's usually a showstopper, but not this. What was shown was beautiful, but the artwork definitely was inspired by Breath of the Wild, and after the title was shown to be Gods and Monsters, available 2/25/20, that was it...nothing more.

Well Ubisoft, you managed to start out wrong, end weak and not really have anything exciting outside of more shooters that appeal to a certain crowd.  You did do right by actually showing a gameplay demo from the new Watch Dogs, but then you just kinda did what everyone is doing and showed more gameplay-less trailers.  I can't think of a single game that got me excited except for Watch Dogs Legions, and you managed to waste time by talking about a mobile game and a TV show, let alone mention a Division Netflix movie.  I got to say, this is one of the worst showings I've seen from you.  I'm actually kinda missing the bad jokes from Aisha Tyler.  Hell, even Joe McHale.  Fuck it, bring back Mr. Caffeine, anything, to prevent the next one from being so bland.

Overall grade: D