@Blueskied Bruce Campbell said it best several years ago at a convention: "In the US, it's perfectly okay to cut off a woman's breast with a rusty chainsaw.... You just can't kiss it."

@mlcarter815 No one complained about it during any of the other previous generations.

For years, gamers have been pretty content with the fact that if you wanted to tinker with the game, you'd buy the PC version. Plain and simple.

@mlcarter815 @JohnMafia But that's just the graphics card. You also have to factor in a possible CPU upgrade, more RAM and even possibly a new motherboard. PCs don't last forever either, and you gotta maintain their components if you want optimal performance.

There's no winner in this argument. Every few years, you're going to have to fork over several hundred dollars in order to keep healthy gaming habits. Doesn't matter if it's a console or a PC.

@RPG_Fan_I_Am This...

Developing for tablets has also served as a safety net for companies as well while they work on core titles for consoles. A cheap game can rake in tons of cash in a very short time, but a console release may have to sell over 1.5 million copies just to start earning its money back, and that could take months!

How is this a bad thing? Making something cheap and profitable in order to prevent substantial losses over the risk of a big-budget release sounds like smart financial thinking to me. They aren't ditching game consoles in favor of the mobile format. They're simply embracing both and using it to their advantage.

@cantor2537 "We are still in a recession. You think people are going to rush out and put down 400-600 dollars on a new console when their PS3 or 360 is still pumping out good games and graphics that are crisp and clear?"

Yes, they will. Look at all the iPads, iPhones and super expensive tablets that keep flying off the shelves.

Back in 2000, I was barely living paycheck to paycheck, yet I was determined to scrounge and save up for my very own PS2 by launch. Game sales continue to break records every year during this recession because they're buying a game instead of putting a down payment on a new car or house. It's a cheaper alternative.

Also, if one can continue to feed their cigarette/alcohol addiction during these "tough times", then that person can DEFINITELY afford a new console plus a few games at launch.

@ALCHEMYSTO The economy tanked yes, but the gaming/movie industry has been booming. Explain why sales records of hardware and software kept getting broken these past few years if people weren't buying them.

Hell, as much as we hate it, the Kinect hardware has been a screaming success since its 2010 launch. If it's something people really want, they will find a way to save up and buy it.

@Phrykshun @BillyColeman To someone who's eternally biased against them perhaps.

I just realized the irony of this article. Versus XIII has been in development since BEFORE the PS3's launch in Japan and the US.

.... Help me out here. You're the one's bitching about next gen tech being unable to work with, yet you can't even get a single project that's been in the oven LONGER than the PS3's entire lifespan out the door and on our shelves? You didn't even have anything to show off at this year's E3!

I suggest putting your foot where your mouth is. You're complaining about the tech taking too long to advance, yet you're doing the exact same thing yourselves.

@Alves_19 But you're also missing the fact that games are insanely expensive to produce now. The long life span is actually a good safety net for struggling developers, especially when you see so many people getting laid off nowadays.

Square is making excuses. Don't defend them. No one is stopping ANYONE from making next-gen titles for the upcoming systems. Other companies have been hard at work prepping for them for almost a year, but they're also still developing for the current gen as well.

Not having a new machine to play with is no excuse for a company's poor performance. Square has done very little to push the envelope ever since they decided to sit back and play "publisher" instead of "game maker" for a good chunk of this generation's lifespan.

@BillyColeman Ya know, I'm actually shocked that there are people out there who still try to defend XIV, saying "Oh! It's GOOD now! They fixed it!"

That's not the point. They pulled a fast one on just about every single loyal fan of theirs by releasing a completely broken and unplayable product... and doing nothing about it for MONTHS.

It disgusts me. Square never used to be like this 10 years ago... It's really sad.