First off, I just gotta say something... WTF is up with those damn friends emblems?!? You log on, its there, you come back, its gone, it's back, it's gone... rinse & repeat. It's the coding having a seizure or something?

Also, I finally went & put a myspace up for myself. I'm not big on posting a direct link, but I may sometime. If you're actually that curious though, feel free to PM me or w/e inquiring as to mine.

This next-gen just looks screwy and I attribute it all to Microsoft. Microsoft coming into the marketplace has pushed Nintendo down to third (though to be fair, Nintendo didn't make it that hard with how the N64 did). Also, they have forced Sony into a heated hardware race. So now, we have three systems coming out or out already, the X360, PS3, and the Rev (which may make a name change to GO or something else). So why is this a bad thing? Well, let's take a closer look at where this all leaves the three big console producers in the market next generation (just sticking to consoles here).

-Nintendo-
Being already last, the company lovingly referred to as the Big N has decided to go in a different direction from the competition; release a weaker system with new capabilities and a huge library of ready to download classics. While this low cost model may seem to be good for this gen, there is a big problem with this level of power; the system is so much weaker than the competition's models that to develop multiplatform games for it would require so much in extra development time to make the game weaker graphically that most studios won't bother.

Also, this strategy is setting Nintendo up for a BIG fall in the generation following the 360/PS3/Rev gen. Their new innovative technologies, which they spend millions of dollars and years of investing in will quickly be ripped apart, analyzed, and reworked into the competitions' systems for the following gen at a much lower cost for the competition. This will, of course, screw over Nintendo in the new gaming front, due to their now standard equipment being possessed by everyone, while their system contains MUCH lower power. Could it be that Nintendo has essentially brought on its own destruction?

-Sony-

Sony is in company wide debt. Not by a small number, either; we’re talking over 6 billion dollars USD. To repeat, SIX BILLION DOLLARS! There are decent sized countries with smaller amounts of built up debt. Now, The nice thing for Sony is, they are a company so expansive that they have plenty of revenue streams to finance most of their ventures, but with that kind of debt, they can only go for so long before they have to do something about it.

Also, Sony has become allowed themselves to become completely entangled in a forward push on hardware (not to say this is completely Microsoft’s part, Sony does want to push out Blu-Ray, their TVs, etc.) that has caused them to make a system that will be expensive for the company to produce & sell to consumers. The cost limit is so high that to even price it competitively (assuming it cost 800 to make, 500 price point), that they will need to move a LOT of software to even break even. On top of all that, anyone producing these games now has to use the Blu-Ray disc, which increases game cost, reducing the margin earned per game. This will only come to further hurt Sony financially. Could this strain be the straw that finally breaks their back?

-Microsoft-

Microsoft has managed to do quite the feat this past generation; they have come from out of absolutely no where (well, not completely) with a new console and have managed to rip away the second place slot in the marketplace from Nintendo. Though, this is not a true victory. While Xbox has put up some great numbers in the United States and European sectors, the numbers from the Japanese sector have been laughable, at best, moving a mere 2 million (actually a little less, and thanks to the X360 release, Xbox will probably never even hit 2 million in the Land of the Rising Sun). This second place victory also isn’t much to brag about when you consider that the system is only over GCN in sales by a couple million worldwide and FAR behind the PS2 sales numbers.

Also, while Microsoft has managed to make quite the showing on its first time on the console market, they haven’t done a decent showing in profits for the system. In fact, they have yet to turn a profit in the Xbox division of Microsoft for even one quarter. Seeing as how Microsoft has insisted on trying to push up the releases of new consoles to four years, this also creates a problem of always sinking cost to be researching & developing the next system. This means that Microsoft will probably just keep assuming losses on the Xbox line for a good amount of time. This bring up the question, just how long will shareholders deal with Microsoft throwing away money on what has never been more than a drain on the company?

Now granted, this piece does take the some of the bad parts of what may be to come into consideration, but if any one of these come to fruition, then we could very well see a big shake-up in the video game console industry. All we can do now though, is wait & see.

Many may consider me a sheep, but trust me, I'm not. In fact, my game collection is probably more diverse than most people using these terms. But these latest specs that have been released on IGN from a trusted studio using the newest dev kit are pitiful. Nintendo is trying to push onto people a "new" system that is like a handicapped Xbox (no shaders).

Now, I love Nintendo for the DS, because even with the "weaker" graphics, it is still way ahead of its last efforts, as far as those terms go. But this is just a BAD MOVE on Nintedno's part and here's why...

1) Weaker hardware now = even weaker hardware in the future
2) 3rd party multiplatform games will never nearly never go to Rev, due to all the strip-down needed to make it work
3) Time in between new developers utilizing new pieces correctly, with the lower 3rd party multiplatformers means low game turnout

1) Great, so you have a system that looks ok right now, but what about in the gen AFTER next when Nintendo has sat on their butt not trying to upgrade the console specs? They have lined themselves up to only fall further & further back on specs

2) This one pretty much explains itself... developers would have to do too much strip-down work to make another version of each game for the Rev. Welcome to the 3rd party void of GCN.

3) The Rev's disk unit will be empty, because the new game turnout will be low. It's gonna have DS syndrome... a great first party title every 2-3 months, then the rest will be crappily implimented 3rd party games. Joy.

Unless things change in about a month or two, I'm getting an X360. I'll just wait for the close-out on Revolution stuff late 2007.

Any of us DS forumites have by now seen the backlash that was the MPH review. I really don't know how that review was allowed through. Nintendo not paying them enough? Doubtful. Everyone busy with Oblivion? Maybe. The GS collective staff not being vigilent in what is being posted? Obviously. Hopefully, we'll see a new reviewer handle the re-review of the game.

3 days my Guitar Hero controller went without breaking... 3 f**king days!!! The metal whammy bar got shocked by static that had built up after I wped down my TV & ruined the whammy bar. It doesn't add points or anything & had that broke say after 3 months of use, fine. But not after 3 days for something so stupid. So back to EB it goes! Hope they get in more soon... -_-

I am absolutely loving this game... I'm on easy just to get myself used to it, but I just nailed 100% on Infected on easy, which was awesome! Gonna go back& play now!

Well, as many of you know, I'm a DS fanatic (NOT a fanboy). I love the Ds, the games, the features, all of that. But I really think I want another handheld outside of the Nintendo realm. So right now, I am eying the Sony PSP & Gamepark GP2X. I'm weighing the pros & cons between the two right now.... ( * Means that its the big pro or con for me)

-PSP Pros-
Console-quality games
*Good Capcom support (Big Mega Man & SF fan)
Has lots of features

-PSP Cons-
*Battery life is low
Expensive system, games & accesories
*Load times

-GP2X Pros-
Plays videos, audio files, and emulators, plus other homebrews
*Can become a portable arcade
Can be plugged into TV to allow larger view of vid/game

-GP2X Cons-
*Gonna have to always stock AA batteries
Few to no official games
Have to import EVERYTHING

So that's basically my run through. I have time to think about it, cuz I need my state tax refund check to be able to get this stuff, but we'll just have to see. Maybe I'll just use that cash to get a crapload of DS stuff. :P