Social impacts of a pressure on manufacturing prices can be, and probably are massive.
The use of cheap/near-slave labour in asia to cut cost on one hand and the use of minerals and materials that are either won under questionable circumstances (minerals from conflict zones in afrika or environmental damages done by "cheap" mining techniques involving acids or mercury that are going straight and unregulated into the environment of another 3rd world country).
Sadly either Microsoft or Sony said something about the sources of their materials and labour forces. So at least in this regard there is no question which console is better... they both suck.
I´d like to see a "fair-box" or a "PS-fair" similar to the fairphone coming out in europe.
But I agree... a monopoly in the console market would be bad for us as consumers.
"one of the most anticipated titles in gaming history".... superlative much?
And what about previous statements like "connor fights not on either side but has his own fights in the setting".... now he is THE hero of the american revolution. PR people can mess up everything ;) Still gonna buy it, cause its "one of the most anticipated titles"... of the year for me ;)
This kind of violence is simply due to the technical development. The degree of violence is always limited by what the computers/consoles can do. Remember the outcry with soldiers of fortune and manhunt or the debates when the first damage model allowed headshots. With exeeding technology there will be more explicit violence. Imagine a real time calculated bone-structure system where bones in limbs and head will break "realisticly" on impact. Or a fighting game where you leave your oponent with a smashed head... It´s maybe not for everybody, but when SAW and other torture/violence porn find its audience, then these games will too.
Good news is, in one year no one cares about it anymore because smoothe kill-animations will be standard in the tripple A games.
cleanor's comments